


Acceptance

by Slaskia



Series: Zendou [2]
Category: Halo
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-30
Updated: 2009-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-16 16:39:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slaskia/pseuds/Slaskia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeno suddenly finds himself thrust into a life he never expected could happen. However, unexpected feelings toward another Sangheili threaten to ruin that life before it begins. Can he learn to accept himself for who he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Life

_High Charity, 8 years before first Halo Event_

 

It was hard to believe that a few months ago he was just leaving his Keep to join formal military training. 

Even harder to believe was that about a month ago, he was roaming a human controlled planet alone.  Abandoned by his Field Master for no reason other than something he had no control over.  Slowly weakening from starvation and exposure. 

The hardest thing to believe was what happened roughly three weeks ago.  He was found by a squad of SpecOps, whom were on a mission to recover a holy relic.  Initially they had him shackled, having been told that he was a deserter, a heretic.  After he had told his side of the story, their commander, Anko ‘Tidumee, released him, having found truth in his words.  He went on to assist the squad in their mission, sacrificing a great deal to ensure it succeeded. 

A sacrifice that nearly cost him his life.  This was why he was here, in the infirmary.  Not just any infirmary though:  one of the infirmaries that was housed within _High Charity_ itself.  In the holy city or not, he was sick of this place. 

Granted, no respectful Sangheili actually _liked_ being in the infirmary.  Most Sangheili made sure they minimized their stay.  Zeno didn’t get that option.  He was on orders to stay here until the medics felt he was strong enough for light duty.  It felt like he was ready for light duty ages ago now.  He was starting to wonder just what was taking them so long to release him.  As far as he was concerned, he was well enough to leave.  

He had asked Anko what was to become of him at the start of his stay in the infirmary, but the SpecOps commander had simply said to let him worry about that.  That was two weeks ago and there has still been no word.  Those he inquired about what was to become of him either didn’t know, or simply couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell him.  It was starting to drive him mad.  Worse, he was in _High Charity_ , the holiest of cities in the Covenant and he couldn’t go out and explore it. 

 _I should be in the training room, rebuilding my strength and skills.  Not stuck here in a bed,_ he thought to himself with a sigh.  Looking down at himself, he frowned in mild despair.  He wasn’t skin and bones anymore, but his muscle tone was atrocious, weak and pathetic.  Staying in bed all day wasn’t helping any.  Whenever he dared, he got out of bed to do some minor exercises, only to get yelled at by the medical staff.  _Damn medics.  They seem to enjoy making life boring for their patients._   The only thing he was allowed to do was read: technical and battle maneuver manuals got boring after the third read through. 

“Zeno ‘Ribalee?” 

Zeno bolted upright in his bed so fast that he got a brief dizzy spell from it.  Once it passed, he was able to focus on the speaker.  For a brief moment, he thought it was Anko, something in the man’s face reminded him of him, but he quickly realized it wasn’t.  His eyes were the wrong color, being more golden then the red-orange Anko had.  In addition, the man was wearing black armor, the color of a SpecOps officer.  “Sir!”  Zeno said, nodding his head in respect. 

“I am Sub-Commander Rtas ‘Vadumee,” the man said.  “I have come to see to your release from this place.” 

His hearts leaped for joy: it was about time!  “Thank you sir, I have been wondering when I would be able to leave this place.” 

“I have already cleared it with the medics.  But before you go, you should get dressed.”  With a hand, Rtas gestured toward an armor crate beside him: he had obviously carried it in with him.  Zeno immediately hopped off the bed and went for the crate, eager to get some proper attire on again.  No more being restricted to having only his underwear and a bed sheet to cover him.  Or worse, wearing one of those god-awful medical gowns.  

He was expecting to see his old armor in the crate, with a new bodysuit to accompany it.  Perhaps even a new set of minor armor.  What he saw instead was brand new, dark purple armor.  Picking up the helmet, he turned it over again and again, vaguely aware Rtas was watching him with a slight smirk on his face.  There was no question: this was SpecOps armor.  “Sir,” Zeno said nervously, looking up at Rtas.  “I think there must be some kind of mistake.  This cannot be my armor…” 

“It is now,” Rtas said.  “The commander had you transferred to the SpecOps, where your talents will be put to much better use.” 

Zeno gawked at him, his mandibles hanging open in shock.  “But…Do you not have to be at least a major to be even considered?” 

“There are always exceptions.  You will be a part of the commander’s reconnaissance unit.” 

Short and to the point this man was.  Still, it was a bit much for him to take in.  Not only was he transferred to the SpecOps, but into a _specialist_ field. “I-I do not know what to say…” 

“Then say nothing.  Come, hurry up and put it on.” 

Zeno nodded and stripped what clothing he had on before slipping into the bodysuit, Rtas respectfully turning away.  The armor itself sat a bit loose on him, which was no surprise considering he had lost a bit of muscle mass.  Once he was fully dressed, Rtas beckoned for him to follow. 

At last, he could see more of _High Charity_ besides the medical ward.  Zeno gawked at the towering vistas and vast streets.  He could see members of all species that were a part of the Covenant.  The waddling, cowardly Unggoy.  The sly, sneaky Kig-Yar.  The holy ones, the Prophets.  The buzzing, annoying drones.  The primitive, savage Brutes.  The plodding, yet dangerous Hunters.  Lastly, and most importantly, his own people, the Sangheili.  Here he could see Sangheili of all ranks and positions and seeing them in this sacred city gave him no small amount of pride. 

Now was no time for sight seeing though, for Rtas was pulling far ahead of him, forcing him to jog to catch up to him.  That effort left him a little winded, a shameful testimony on how out of shape he had become.  He hoped he would get the chance to get back into shape before his first mission as a member of the SpecOps.  

“I can tell you let yourself go during your state at the infirm.”  Rtas said, glancing at him briefly. 

“Not by choice, sir,” Zeno said.  “Medics got on my case every time I started doing the most minor of exercises.” 

“Hmph.  Typical.  They are incapable of gaining honor like a true Sangheili, so they see fit to try to hamper others in their own quest.” 

“That certainly seems to be the case, sir.” 

Rtas grunted but said no more.  It was apparent he wasn’t big on idle chatter.  Very business-like and by the book he seemed.  It was plain he wasn’t going to get much out of him unless it business related, so Zeno didn’t bother trying.  He couldn’t help but wonder how much about him Rtas was told.  Zeno also wondered how the other Sangheili that rescued him were doing.  Were Sefo and Bateli holding up?  Were Justal and Miko still bickering over the validity of reconnaissance? 

A short time later, Rtas finally stopped before a building, which was marked as the armory, and directed him inside.  There, one of the huragoks adjusted his armor so it was a lot more snug.  Zeno knew he would be visiting this place often to have it refitted as he got back into shape.  As they left the armory, a thought occurred to him.  “Sub-Commander, if I am in Recon, does that mean I will be working with Miko?” 

Rtas gave him a slightly confused look.  “Miko ‘Kemotee?  I was under the impression that you got along with him.  Does this mean there will be a problem?” 

Zeno blushed slightly:  he didn’t mean for his inquiry to sound like he didn’t like the man.  “Forgive me, Sub-Commander, I did not mean to imply that my experiences with Miko have been negative.  I was simply curious if I would be working with him considering we are now in the same unit.” 

“Yes, you will be.  You will be partnered with him in fact.” 

“Partnered?” 

“The commander found that recon teams work best in pairs.  Few enough to keep the risk of discovery minimized, but not enough to cause wasteful duplication in reports.” 

“Considering the nature of the work, I gather we are off on our own for long periods of time.” 

“That is correct.  So you can probably see why Anko wanted you as a part of this unit.” 

Zeno nodded, understanding.  “And with a partner, the risk of going mental is negated.  But what if they do not get along?” 

“New pairs are not sent out on missions immediately.  They are given time to get comfortable and get to know each other first, to see if they are compatible.  To assist with this they also share a room.  If it proves they will not work out, they are separated and new partners found.  Until then, they are put on light duties or join in squad missions when their skills may be of use.” 

“Is that why Miko was with the squad that found me?” 

“Yes.  Miko has been without a partner for a couple of years now.” 

That statement nearly made him stop in his tracks.  “A couple of years?”  Zeno said, surprised.  “Is he that disliked?” 

“In a way, yes.  Some of it he cannot help, but otherwise,” Rtas breathed a long sigh.  “It is his own fault.” 

“What does he do?”  Zeno was not so sure if being partnered with him would be a good idea now.  During the brief time he was with him back on that planet, Miko seemed like a rather pleasant man to be around.  That is, so long as one didn’t insult his profession at least. 

“He plays pranks,” Rtas grumbled.  “Especially on those that slighted him in some way.  It is his way of getting back at them.” 

“You mean on Sangheili like Justal I take it.”  A nod.  “I mean no disrespect Sub-Commander, but…Why are you partnering me with him then?” 

Rtas turned and looked in the eye.  “Because you two have something in common.” 

The sub-commander did not elaborate beyond that, leaving Zeno puzzling over his comment.  He wasn’t given much time to ponder though, as Rtas started speaking again.  “Normally, those being put into specialized fields would be sent to a special camp for advanced training,” he said, resuming his walk.  “But the recon unit is still fairly new; they do not have a special camp of their own.” 

“There was not always a recon unit?” 

“No.  It is the brainchild of Commander Anko, whom had a hard time convincing the Council to authorize it.  They had felt that the stealth and ranger units were sufficient for such tasks.  So far the results coming from the teams have been keeping the Council satisfied.” 

“I imagine the stealth and ranger units are not happy.” 

A smirk appeared on Rtas’ face.  “No, they are not.  A couple of times they tried to sabotage their missions, only for it to backfire horribly.  Now they just gripe and seethe.” 

“I am sure they would love to hear about the recon unit being disbanded someday.” 

“Oh yes, but so long as the recon teams are doing as well as they are, that will not happen.” 

Silence once again dominated the space between them for a moment.  “What ship will I be assigned to? If you are able to tell me of course….” 

“ _High Charity_ is our primary base of operations, though we are often assigned to a fleet to be utilized by the Supreme Commander as needed.” 

“The _Fleet of Particular Justice_ I am guessing is our current fleet.” 

“Correct.  We also take direct orders from the High Council, sometimes the Hierarchs themselves.” 

“A great honor.” 

“Indeed.” 

“So this means I will be rejoining the others now?” 

“Not yet.  The fleet is currently dealing with another planet infested with those heretics.  It may be a week or more before it returns.” 

“I see.  So what am I to do in the meantime?” 

There was another one of Rtas’ smirks.  “You will see.” 

Zeno knew not to pry.  He found out quickly soon enough however, when they reached their next destination.  Zeno recognized it immediately: a training room.  At last!  He would be able to get himself back into shape.  It turned out he wouldn’t be training alone. 

“Zeno.”  Zeno turned and barely caught the training sword in time.  His eyes widening in surprise, he watched as Rtas armed himself with one as well. “In addition to arranging your release from the infirmary, I was also tasked to get you started back on the road to fitness.  Prepare yourself!”  With that last phrase, Rtas attacked.  Zeno yelped and barely got his sword up in time to block Rtas’ strike.  “Do not always count on your opponent giving you warning.  Always keep your eye on your foe.”  

Zeno nodded, remembering that lesson from both Ley and Kou. He also remembered the painful mistake of turning his back to Ley during their one fight: the scar on his back would always be there.  He watched as Rtas backed off a few paces, then came at him again.  Expecting it this time, Zeno parried the blow easily.  “At me now,” Rtas commanded. 

He nodded and lunged at the sub-commander.  Not surprisingly, Rtas parried it easily.  They exchanged blows for a few minutes before Rtas called for a halt.  “Not bad, though your form is rather sloppy.” 

“To be fair, sir,” Zeno said, panting slightly from the brief exertion: Rtas himself wasn’t even winded.  “I am not as familiar with using the standard sword.  I trained primarily with a Kisan style blade back home.” 

“Understandable, but keep in mind that such a _specialized_ blade would likely require a special requisition from the supply office, with no guarantee that your request would be accepted.  Thus it would be in your best interests to work on your skill in the standard blade.” 

“I understand, sir.  Though, to be honest, I doubt it takes much skill to kill a human with any blade.” 

Rtas actually chuckled at that.  “Indeed it does not.  However, there may be times when you will have to fight against our own.  Such as those that turn against the Covenant.  A solid foundation in standard sword techniques will extend your life in such cases.” 

“Point noted, sir.”  Zeno hoped he would never have to fight his own.  He had his fill of it with Ley. 

“Good. You have your breath back?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Then come.” 

After putting away their swords, Rtas took him to a neighboring room.  Here was all sorts of training equipment.  Zeno got the feeling he was about to get the work out of his life and he was right.  Rtas put him through his paces on each of them, proving to be a harsh trainer.  Despite that, Zeno could tell he was keeping in mind that he had only just gotten out of the infirmary, so was going easy on him.  For now. 

Still, it was hard work.  By the time they were done, Zeno could hardly move due to exhaustion.  He sat against the wall, trying to catch his breath and regain some strength.  In front of him, Rtas stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking mildly disappointed, but not surprised at his lack of stamina.  “We are done here for the day,” the sub-commander said.  “When you have the strength to walk again I will show you where you will be staying, along with the location of the nearest mess.” 

Zeno nodded in acknowledgment.  He took the time he needed to gather his strength before rising to his feet.  Then he followed Rtas out, feeling the growing stiffness in his limbs.  By the Gods, he was going to be sore later.  He hoped Rtas didn’t expect him to repeat this routine again tomorrow. 

The mess turned out to be a fair distance, which only aggravated Zeno’s tired legs even more.  He smelled it before he saw it: his stomach announcing its desires to be sated.  Zeno was eager to see what the food here in _High Charity_ tasted like.  He hoped it tasted much better then rations or hospital food. 

The place was vast and capable of accommodating multiple species.  A quick glance around only revealed three of the member species:  Kig-Yar, Brutes and of course Sangheili.  The Unggoy he safely assumed had their own mess in the methane chambers.  The Holy Prophets he could understand not wanting to mingle with the other species during meal times and the Drones kept to their hives when not working.  As for the Hunters: he didn’t want to know where or how they ate.  Just the thought of the possibilities nearly made him lose his appetite. 

Both he and Rtas grabbed a meal and took a seat where many of the Sangheili sat.  They ate in relative silence, Zeno being too hungry to want to strike up a conversation and Rtas wasn’t the talkative type to begin with.  There was a brief disturbance on the other side of the room at one point, when a couple of Brutes got into a shoving match over some trivial thing. “Vile, uncivilized creatures,” Rtas muttered, watching the Brutes with distaste.  “Why the holy ones let them in rather then allowing us to blast them to extinction is beyond me.” 

“I suppose the Prophets felt they could contribute to the Covenant in some way,” Zeno said with a shrug.  “Who are we to question them?” 

Rtas grunted and said no more.  After they finished their meal Rtas led him to his quarters, which thankfully wasn’t far from the mess.  “This will be your quarters whenever you are on _High Charity_ ,”  Rtas said.  “Unless of course, it proves you and Miko are incompatible.” 

“If that turned out to be the case I would be the one to move out, due to Miko having more seniority, correct?” 

“That is correct.”  Rtas gave him the combination to the door, along with how to operate the bio scanner. “I will return for you tomorrow afternoon, for more training.” 

Zeno had to swallow his groan of despair:  hadn’t the sub-commander heard of letting someone recover for at least a day after an intense workout?  “I will see you tomorrow then, sir.” 

Rtas nodded and then took his leave, leaving Zeno to enter and explore his new, albeit shared, quarters: a small, but modest, apartment.  The main part of it was evenly divided into sections, one bed on each side along with its own dresser and armor rack.  If it hadn’t been for the pile of folded sheets on the unclaimed bed, Zeno probably wouldn’t have known which bed to take:  Miko’s side had no obvious personal effects to decorate it.  

He’ll deal with making his bed later.  First, get out of this armor and bathe.  His body felt relief the moment the armor pieces came off, though it was a struggle to get the battlesuit off due to the stiffness in his muscles.  He knew he should wash the battlesuit, but didn’t feel like doing it now.  Instead, he stepped into the latrine and found a full bath, which included a tub and shower. 

Purring with joy, he eagerly stepped into the shower and turned on the water, the force field activating automatically.  Ahhhh, the water felt delicious.  It soothed away the creeping soreness in his muscles and reinvigorated his tired limbs.  He stood under the water for a few moments, just enjoying the waters heat, before finally grabbing the soap and giving himself a good wash. 

When he was finished, he stepped out and toweled off.  After making his bed, he settled into its sheets, already feeling the call of sleep.  As he started to drift off, he thought with pride about how Kou would react to the news of him being in the SpecOps.  He really should send him a message in fact. 

Zeno felt too tired to bother getting out of bed to do so right now.  So he made a mental note to see about it tomorrow….


	2. Unwanted

The next several days seemed to fly by.  Most of his time was spent either training, recovering from said training, eating and sleeping.  As much as he wanted to, Zeno never really got a chance to explore _High Charity_.  He was either too sore or exhausted.  Fortunately, Rtas did have some heart.  Every other day he only had Zeno train with the sword, much to Zeno’s relief.  On the other days though, he was put through the gauntlet, so to speak.  Those days left him too tired to move once he dragged himself back to his quarters.  At least he was starting to gain his muscle tone back: he already had to have his armor readjusted once. 

Much to his shame, he only just sent word of his accomplishments back home earlier in the day.  He had either been too tired or sore, or just plain forgot.  When he finally composed his message, he realized he had a bit of dilemma.  It was meant for Kou, but it would be rather inappropriate, he felt, to send a personal message directly to the kaidon.  So he opted to send it to his sister Lila instead, whom would surely get it to Kou.  The issue there though, was that by now Lila would likely have completed her g _i’vea_ training and was transferred to a travelling trope.  As a result, gi’vea didn’t have a permanent individual address, only a trope one.  Zeno had no choice but to send it to the training camp at his keep, in hopes they would know how to get it to her. 

After he sent the message, it was time to train again.  It was a light day, so he knew Rtas wouldn’t be pushing him hard.  He had noticed that the sub-commander was starting to not be as easy on him sword fighting wise.  That was fine, so long as Rtas didn’t get overly excited.  Zeno doubted that would happen though, as Rtas was rather level headed. 

\-- 

“You are getting better. That is good,” Rtas said when they finished for the day. 

“Thank you, sir.” 

“A fair warning, I got word that the fleet is due back any time now.” 

“Really?  Does that mean I will need to be ready to move to the _Seeker of Truth_?” 

“Not immediately, the fleet will need to resupply first before departing and that will take at least a day.  No, I warn you because I doubt my father has told Miko he has a new partner, so he will likely be surprised to see someone occupying his room.” 

Zeno caught the slip.  “Father?  Commander Anko is your father?” 

The sub-commander turned a deep shade of purple when he realized his slip, which only served to confirm the relation.  He sputtered a moment and coughed before regaining his composure.  “Miko will likely be hostile toward you at first, especially if you two meet in your quarters.  Best you explain yourself quickly.” 

“Understood, sub-commander,” After a moments pause he added, “It must be a great honor to not only know, but serve under your father.” 

“It is.  Now drop it.  In fact, forget you heard my slip.” 

“Yes, sub-commander.”  Zeno could see why Rtas didn’t like talking about it.  Not because he was ashamed of it, but due to the tradition that Sangheili don’t know who their fathers are.  It was a tradition that prevented Sangheili children from getting a leg up in society due to their father’s status.  Zeno surmised it must have been hard for Rtas and Anko both to keep that in mind as Rtas grew up and sought his own place in society. 

They parted ways then and Zeno headed for the mess to eat.  After eating, he returned to his quarters and stripped himself of his armor before heading into the latrine.  Today he felt like taking a bath, rather then a shower, to let the soothing water ease away his soreness.  As he filled the tub with nice hot water, he thought he heard something, like a door opening.  He paused, listening, trying to catch any more sounds.  Finally, he stuck his head out of the latrine and looked around, only to confirm that there was nothing out of the ordinary.  _Must be hearing things,_ he thought, returning to the tub. 

When the water was nearly high enough, he thought he heard something again.  This time, it sounded like metal scraping against the floor.  Turning, he started to look for the source, only for something to slam into him.  Water flew everywhere as he ended up _in_ the tub, his head and neck against the far long wall, his torso curled into the basin of the tub, and his feet sticking straight up in the air.  Momentarily stunned, it took him a moment before he noticed a weight pressing down on both his forearms, keeping him from righting himself. 

Then an armored Sangheili form emerged from nothing.  He immediately recognized him as Miko, whom looked rather displeased with him.  Zeno though, found himself more concerned with Miko’s choice of position:  the senior SpecOps was positioned between his legs.  A rather compromising position.  Worse, he was getting turned on. 

“What are you doing in my room, interloper,”  Miko hissed, his face almost pressed against his. 

It took a moment for Zeno to squash the feelings of arousal so he could concentrate on responding.  “I am your new partner, Miko.” 

“Lies!  Commander Anko told me no such thing.” 

“Sub-Commander Rtas suspected as much.  He warned me you might do this.  Well, the being hostile part anyway.  I certainly was not expecting to be assaulted in the bath.” 

Miko blinked, visibly confused for a moment.  Then he stared at him for a long moment, followed by the light of recognition in his eyes.  “Zeno?”  He nodded.  “By the Gods, I apologize.”  Miko let him go and helped him up.  “That sneaky Anko:  he actually managed to pull one over on me.” 

Zeno quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, then reached over and turned off the water.  “I take it he usually does not manage to do so?” 

“Of course not.  I am reconnaissance: it is my business to find things out,” Miko replied, beaming.  “Though if you are my partner, that means he not only got you into SpecOps, but into recon as well.” 

“Yes, I was quite surprised when I found out myself,” Zeno admitted.  “I was expecting to still be a minor.” 

“Humph, after what you went through, you needed to be promoted.  Never thought I would be working with you though; a pleasant surprise,” Miko gave him a look over.  Zeno subconsciously held the towel tighter to himself, feeling uncomfortable at being scrutinized like this.  “You are certainly looking better then when I last saw you.” 

“Yes, but still got a ways to go.”  Zeno absently poked a bicep.  “I have only been out of the infirmary for a little over a week.  Sub-Commander Rtas has been training me daily since then.” 

“Ah, well that explains the sub-commander’s absence.  Not sure if I should congratulate or pity you:  Rtas can be rough.” 

“Indeed.” 

“Well, I will let you enjoy your bath before the water gets cold.  Have you eaten yet?” 

“I have.” 

“Very well.  I will go eat while you bathe.  I will see you when I return.” 

“Preferably _after_ I am out of the tub.” 

“Close the door then,” Miko grinned.  “See you later.” 

Zeno took his advice and closed the latrine door.  With a sigh, he removed the towel and put it back on the rack before slipping into the tub, this time on his own.  He noted there was water all over the floor, but decided to worry about it later.  Right now, he needed to calm his nerves after that experience. 

What bothered him wasn’t the fact that Miko got the jump on him, despite Rtas’ warning.  No, what bothered him was the arousal he felt when Miko had him pinned.  Those dirty, unnatural thoughts were creeping up in his mind again.  _Stop it.  Stop it!_   he thought, squashing the thoughts before they took serious hold.  _I will not allow myself to be like this._  

It had caused him too much pain and suffering already.  It ruined his life in the keep and his life as a minor.  He wasn’t about to let it ruin his new life in the SpecOps.  Zeno wished there was some way he could be rid of it completely and be a normal Sangheili:  one that was attracted to females, not males.  Yet it seemed no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, it always returned, and usually at the most inappropriate moments such as a few moments ago. 

One nagging question rose in his head.  Was it the position they were in that started to get him worked up, or was it Miko himself?  _No, never mind, I do not care what it was that caused it,_ he decided.  What mattered was that it was unwanted and he didn’t want it to happen again. 

\-- 

Zeno didn’t get much relaxing done, not with this mind in turmoil.  He actually didn’t want to step out of the latrine, knowing Miko would likely be in there, waiting.  If it was really Miko himself that was starting to get him aroused, he certainly didn’t want to tempt those nasty thoughts to surface again.  However, seeing he was expected to work with Miko from now on, Zeno realized he would not be able to prevent it.  With a heavy sigh, he forced himself out of the tub and toweled himself off before stepping out of the latrine, the towel now wrapped around his waist. 

Miko was indeed back, sitting on his own bed looking up at him.  Zeno noted he hadn’t removed his armor yet, save for his helmet.  “About time you got out of there,” Miko quipped.  “I could have gone to eat twice.  Fall asleep?” 

“No.  I just wanted to savor it,” Zeno replied.  The real truth was how much was on his mind due to their little ’incident’, but to mention that would likely result in probing questions.  Questions Zeno really did not want to answer. 

“Fair enough,” Miko said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. 

“Why were you timing me anyway?” 

“Cause I wanted to talk to you for a bit, to try to get to know you better.” Another shrug.  “After all, if we are to be partners, we need to be comfortable with each other.” 

“I do not know what I could tell you about myself,”  Zeno said softly as he picked up his battle suit and started to pull it back on. 

Miko was watching him, mildly confused.  “Why are you putting that back on?  We are off duty.” 

“I am not about to walk around the room naked when there is someone else here.” 

“Ah, the bashful type.  Not that you have anything I do not.  I know: I got an eye full of you earlier.”  Zeno felt the heat of strong blush rise to his cheeks: it was even starting to go down his neck.  “Do you not have any civilian clothes to wear instead?” 

“No.  Any I had was back at my old bunk on the _Exalted Spirit_.  Yuteri likely burned them the first chance he got….” 

“We will have to remedy that problem then.”  There was a moment’s pause as Zeno finished pulling on the battlesuit.  “By the way, that scar on your back….” 

“What about it?”  Zeno said stiffly, turning around and sitting on his bed. 

“It appears too old to have been obtained during your stay on that planet.  At least a year old I am guessing, which means you got it prior to your initiation into the Covenant military.  Training accident?” 

This man was proving to be rather nosy, as well as a bit _too_ eager to engage in small talk.  “I wish…,”  Zeno muttered, flopping down onto his back, his hands folded behind his head. 

“Not a training accident then.  What happened?” 

“None of your business.”  He didn’t want to remember that day right now.  Zeno had been grateful for Kou saving him from his uncle’s blade, but it was also a source of shame.  Shame that he made such a foolish mistake.  Shame that another had to save him. 

Miko held his hands up in surrender.  Thank the gods he knew when not to press the issue.  At least for now.  Zeno had little doubt Miko would bring it up again at some point.  

Silently, Miko started to remove the rest of his armor, Zeno watching him despite himself.  As the armor pieces came off, it revealed a well-toned, slender man.  Zeno found he could not stop staring, especially once the battlesuit started to come off.  The skin underneath was an unusually light color, a light brown with faint mottled patches on his back.  He continued to watch, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious, as Miko grabbed a fresh towel and retreated to the latrine.  After a moment, Zeno heard the sound of the shower running.  

Zeno breathed a deep sigh, relieved to have the space to himself, at least for the moment.  In his mind, those nasty thoughts were back with a vengeance.  It took quite a bit of effort to squash and tuck them away to the deepest crevices of his mind.  There was no doubt: it was Miko that had caused his slight arousal from before.  This meant nothing but trouble, and Zeno feared he wouldn’t last long in his new occupation because of it. 

Miko exited the latrine a few moments later and Zeno looked at him out of reflex.  He wished he hadn’t.  The older Sangheili hadn’t completely toweled himself off yet and something about the moistness of his skin really made his breath catch in his throat.  Within seconds, he felt an uncomfortable tightness in his groin. 

With a faint gasp, he rolled over, turning his back to Miko.  _By the Rings.  Why him?_   Dirty thoughts in full force, it didn’t take long for his shaft to fully erect.  His battlesuit, not designed for something like this, was now uncomfortably tight, pressing his shaft against his abdomen.  Every breath he took served only to increase the sensation and it was becoming hard to keep his breathing normal. 

There was no way he could dart to the latrine and not have Miko see it, even with the battlesuit on it was very obvious he was fully aroused.  With no other option, he pulled the sheets of his bed over himself, and then opened the section of the suit that allowed for waste elimination.  Ahhhh.  That was better.  The suit was no longer adding to the problem, though he still had the problem of the erection itself. 

“Going to bed already?” He heard Miko say.  “Alright.  I will try not to wake you when I return.” 

Zeno risked a glance over his shoulder and saw that Miko had dressed himself in casual attire.  He was wearing a low cut white shirt with a pair of green pants.  He looked…Nice…In that.  The thought only served to make him even harder.  “Where are you going?”  He asked, curious. 

“Going for a walk,” Miko said simply, with another one of his shrugs.  “Good night.”  Without further explanation, he walked out the room, locking the door behind him.  

Zeno couldn’t believe his luck.  He immediately hopped out of bed and went into the latrine.  Quickly, he stripped off his battlesuit and went into the shower, turning the water temperature down to as cold as he could make it before turning it on.  He yelped in shock when the freezing water hit him, nearly driving him out of the stall.  He forced himself to stand firm and endure it, until his shaft had retreated back to where it belonged.  Only then, did he turn it off and step out. 

Now he was freezing, but he didn’t care.  Freezing was better then walking around with an erection on display.  After toweling off, he pulled the battlesuit back on and buried himself under his sheets, shivering.  Dear Gods, how was he going to survive this partnership without debasing or shaming himself?  How was he going to work with a man that turned him on so easily? 

 _Ok…It is only when he is not in his armor._   Zeno corrected himself, remembering how Miko didn’t trigger such a reaction when fully armored.  If he wasn’t sharing a room with him, this may not have been a problem:  just avoid him during off duty time.  Yet it seemed the Gods had once again chosen to punish him by having him bunk in the same room as this man, meaning there would be no escape, no avoiding situations that would only serve to embarrass him. 

For a brief moment, Zeno entertained the thought of exploring these feelings, but he squashed it quickly.  _Who am I kidding?_ He thought bitterly.  _Even if such a thing would be accepted, Miko likely would not be interested in me in that way anyway.  Such is my luck._   No, he would be alone in his suffering.  He would endure it like all other trials the Gods threw at him. 

 _I am a fighter, not a coward,_ Zeno told himself.  _I will endure…No… I will defeat this.  I must, in order to succeed._  

He started thinking about Sangheili females, trying to convince himself that they should be the ones he should be attracted to.  Yet, even the most erotic imagines of females he could conquer up didn’t do anything for him, his body refusing to respond to them as it was supposed to.  In defiance, his mind switched to imagines of Sangheili males, particularly Miko.  Before he knew it, he was hard again. 

 _No, no, no!  Females, females!_   Zeno thought, forcing imagines of females back to the forefront.  Yet, when he did so, his shaft shrank and retreated, the images proving to be a turn _off_ rather then a turn _on_.  It went back and forth like this for about an hour, before he finally gave up and turned to focusing on falling asleep. 

Now mentally exhausted as much as he was physically, sleep came to him quickly.


	3. High Charity

_Eight years ago_.

**_Sanghelios, State of Ribal_ **

 

Classes were over for the day, but rather then returning to the common rooms, Zeno and two other boys his age opted to go into the town for a bit.  They knew they would eventually have to return, preferably before the second sun sunk below the horizon, but for now, they were enjoying hanging out and chatting.  Currently they were in the market, sitting on a low wall, watching the other residents do some last minute shopping before the market closed for the day. 

“I am gong to be a ship master when I get older,”  One of the boys said proudly. 

“You have to make it to _minor_ first, considering your line’s history, Vini,” Another said with a grin. 

The first boy, Vini, glared at him.  “It is not my fault a great uncle brought shame upon my line.” 

“Perhaps, but it is up to you to restore your lines honor.  Best hope the trait of cowardice has not passed to you.” 

“It has not, I assure you,” Vini said proudly, holding his head high. 

Zeno smirked, an idea forming in his head, and slipped behind the wall while Vini wasn’t looking.  The other boy, Rono was his name, looked at him with an inquisitive look.  He nodded with a slight grin when Zeno put a finger to his mandibles and pointed at Vini, then carried on as if he had seen nothing.  Zeno crept low behind the wall, until he was right behind Vini.  Then, he shot up quickly, roaring loudly. 

“Ahhhh!”  Vini yelped, jumping clear off the wall.  He missed landing on his feet completely and stumbled a few feet before finally falling onto his face in the dust.  Rono and Zeno burst out laughing.  “You bastards!”  Vini growled at them, as he picked himself off the ground.  “That was uncalled for!” 

“And that, is why you will not make ship master,” Rono said between laughs. 

“You really should pay more attention to your surroundings, Vini,” Zeno added with a grin.  “You will not get far if you don’t.” 

“I will prove you both wrong, just you wait and see,” Vini hissed. 

“You boys are behaving yourselves I hope.”  A new voice said.  Looking up they saw one of the female merchants looking down at them, a kind motherly smile on her face.  She was obviously one of the higher classed merchants in the state, going by her expensive looking robes. 

“Yes, ma’am,” They said in unison. 

“Alright, be careful now, and do not forget to return to your rooms before second sunset.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

The trio watched the merchant return to her stall.  The prank Zeno played on Vini was quickly forgotten and the conversation turned to future potential mates rather then rank.  None of them had hit adolescence yet, but that didn’t stop them.  “She was a looker, wasn’t she?”  Rono said. 

“Bah, neck is a bit too thick for my tastes,” Vini mumbled. 

“Are we even old enough to start having ‘tastes’?”  Zeno asked, raising a brow.  He honestly didn’t see anything appealing with the female they just spoke too.  Sure, she had some nice qualities, but they didn’t get his hearts hammering.  He had figured he just hasn’t reached the right age yet to start feeling such things. 

“Sure we are,” Rono said.  “Saw a girl the other day that made me gasp.  Pity she was a gi’vea: even if I was old enough I could not touch her.” 

“Darn gi’vea always takes the good looking ones,”  Vini muttered.  “And by the time they are allowed to take mates they have started to loose those qualities.” 

“Are you saying my sister is going to end up ugly by the time she is done,” Zeno said with a glare.  Like her mother before her, Lila wanted to be a gi’vea and had just been accepted as a trainee.  Gi’vea fulfilled the roles of entertainer, councilor and soother and they were much sought after by weary Sangheili.  By tradition, once a trainee becomes a full gi’vea, she was forbidden to take a mate for at least ten years.  Once ten years had passed, she was free to leave and start a family:  many return to aid in training the next generation of gi’vea.  Mea, Zeno’s mother, did so on occasion from what he heard, until her untimely death when he and Lila were only a couple years old. 

“No, no!  Of course not!”  Vini said quickly, holding up his hands.  “In your sister’s case, she will probably stay beautiful all her life.” 

“That is better.” 

“So what are you going to look for in a female Zeno?”  Rono asked. 

“I…Do not know yet,” Zeno admitted, feeling uncomfortable.  “Nothing stands out for me right now.” 

“You mean to tell me that you have not seen a single female that is attractive to you yet?” 

“I…Um…” 

“Leave him be Rono,” Vini interjected.  “Remember whom he has for a sister.  Hard to beat _that_.” 

“Yeah good point.” 

The other two started chatting between themselves about the subject, Zeno feeling utterly left out.  _Is something wrong with me?_ He wondered, looking at the thinning coward of people in the market.  The shoppers were mostly female right now, but there were a few males mixed in.  Some were serfs, likely looking for supplies for their duties, while others were military, causally browsing on their off duty time.  All the males were well built, but some held his eye longer then others. 

 _Dear Gods…,_ Zeno thought when he realized what he was doing.  _Something ‘is’ wrong with me._ Confusion raged in his mind.  Why was he attracted to males?  Was he some kind of freak?  If others found out, he would be teased for certain at the very least. 

Zeno vowed to keep this to himself.  He had to, in order not to soil his honor in the eyes of his friends and the keep. 

\--- 

A gentle shaking woke Zeno from his slumber.  Groggily he opened an eye to see Miko standing by his bed.  Thankfully, the other SpecOps was in full armor, which meant the risk of those nasty thoughts occurring was low.  He certainly had his fill of them last night: his dreams had been a mix of erotic and flat out nightmare.  “Are you going to sleep all day?”  Miko asked. 

“Maybe…,”  Zeno moaned, pulling the covers over his head.  He did a quick check to make sure he didn’t have an unwanted ‘tent pole’ waving about, and found that it was not up, much to his relief. 

“You are not going to get anywhere in the SpecOps if you just lay in bed all day.”  Suddenly the bed sheet was flipped off of him. 

“Gah! Miko!  I could have been naked for all you knew!” 

“Like I have not seen you naked already.”  Miko had a silly smirk on his face, Zeno felt a blush rising to his cheeks.  “Besides, I knew you went to bed with your battlesuit on anyway.” 

Zeno grumbled a few curses under his breath as he sat up.  “What is your big hurry anyway?” he asked as he looked at the time.  “It is not even mid-morning yet.” 

“And as a SpecOps you will need to be prepared to be up and about at any time of the day,”  Miko said with a mildly serious tone.  “By the way, have you taken the opportunity to explore the city yet?” 

“No.  I have been too sore and tired to do much exploring.” 

“Ah!  Then we will take care of two things at once.  I shall give you a tour of _High Charity._ ” 

 _Wonderful…,_ Zeno thought.  “OK, fine…A tour…What is the other thing?” 

“Remember last night when I said we needed to remedy your lack of civilian attire?” 

Zeno quickly got his meaning.  “Miko, I have no money to spend on clothing.”  _I probably do not even have my own account now, thanks to Yuteri,_ he thought bitterly.  While he was certain the Council would have reopened his account after he was cleared of wrongdoing, he doubted what little funds he had within it would still be there. 

“Do not worry I will take care of that.” 

“I cannot possibly allow you to pay for such things on my behalf.  What about your own needs?” 

“Please, I live simply and so I have plenty of money to throw around if I wanted to.  Besides, since we are partners now, we are expected to help each other like this.” 

“Alright, fine, but at the first opportunity I am paying you back.” 

“You may certainly try.” 

“What do you mean by ‘try’.” 

Miko waved a hand.  “Hurry up and get dressed will you?  If we are quick enough we can get to the market just as they open and avoid the crowds.” 

Zeno sighed and started snapping his armor pieces on, realizing he wasn’t going to change Miko’s mind on the matter.  Miko waited patiently, with a slight smile on his face and a hint of mischievousness in his eyes.  Once he was ready, Miko lead the way. 

They did stop by the mess for a bit to eat first, which Zeno was thankful for as he was a bit hungry.  After that, the ‘tour’ started.  It was more like a half-assed tour, not because Miko didn’t know any of the history of the city: he never seemed to stop talking actually.  No, it was more because Miko didn’t really have a proper plan for giving this tour.  Where he took him seemed on a whim, random even and many of those places Zeno didn’t see why it was so ‘important’.  Who cares if this ally was where a pair of Prophets were caught doing the deed?  Or the small bar that was burned to the ground by a gang of drunk Unggoy?  Zeno didn’t have the heart to tell him though, as he was obviously enjoying telling him about all this. 

Miko eventually realized he was getting carried away and finally took him to the market.  If Zeno knew Miko was such a shopping freak, would have insisted on carrying on with the tour instead.  For someone that lived simply, Miko had expensive tastes.  Zeno had to keep telling him he wasn’t into the expensive clothing. 

“Miko…,” he said finally.  “Save the expensive clothes for your wife, not me.” 

Miko gave him an odd, almost insulted look.  “I do not have a wife, nor will I ever have one.” 

Zeno blinked at him in confusion.  “You don’t?  How come?  I would have thought as a SpecOps…” 

“SpecOps cannot marry,” Miko explained.  “We are considered aristocrats.  I thought you knew this?” 

Zeno flushed a bit in embarrassment.  “No…” 

Miko shook his head.  “Does not matter either way.  Even if we could marry, I would still never have a wife.” 

“Why?” 

His partner looked sad for a moment, and then looked around, almost nervously before leaning in close to him.  “The same reason you will never have one.” 

Zeno was taken back by the statement.  What did he mean by that?  Or rather, which _part_ of him was he referring to?  He opened his mouth to ask, but Miko raised a finger.  “Not here…,” he said.  “Anyway, if you do not like my picks for you that much, pick some sets out yourself.” 

He breathed a sigh of relief:  that’s what he had been _trying_ to do since they got here, but Miko had kept interrupting him with his ‘suggestions’.  Miko was obviously a bit upset over their exchange, which made Zeno feel a little guilty, but he pushed that out of his mind for the time being.  He tried to find some clothing that mimicked the clothing style of his keep, but with little luck.  Zeno did manage to find one shirt, but it wasn’t in the colors of his keep. He got it anyway though, along with a few pairs of simple shirts and shorts, making sure they were a size or two above what he could wear now, in anticipation for when he was back in shape. 

“Unusual style of shirt you got,”  Miko commented after he paid for the wares. 

“It is in a similar style that is worn by the people of my keep,” Zeno explained.  “Only thing that is off is the color….” 

“I am sure you can have it dyed at some point.” 

“Maybe…But I think it would end up being too dark then.” 

“Pfft, for someone as dark toned as you, you need to wear dark clothing so your finer features would be visible.” 

Zeno felt himself blushing again.  Why did he blush so easily around this man?  “You are right.  I loath wearing colors like white…” 

“Well I hope you do not get promoted to commander then, otherwise you would be stuck wearing white all the time.” 

He chuckled at that. “That probably will not happen for many years, if at all.” 

They stopped by the mess for lunch, then headed for home. On the way though, they bumped into someone familiar:  Sub-commander Rtas ‘Vadumee.  “Oh hello there sub-commander.  How are you doing today?”  Miko said with a broad grin. 

Rtas rolled his eyes.  “I figured you two were together roaming the city.  Miko has not talked your ear hole off yet has he?” 

“A little…,”  Zeno admitted, rubbing the side of his head.  “He was giving me a minor tour.” 

“Oh come on, I was not _that_ bad…,”  Miko protested. 

The sub-commander simply nodded.  “You are to report to the _Seeker of Truth_ within the hour.  The fleet will be departing before the end of the day cycle.” 

“Understood sub-commander.”  The pair said in unison.  Rtas nodded again and went on his way, no doubt to track down other crew.  “Why does he not just send a message about the recall?”  Zeno asked. 

“Here in _High Charity_ the message would go to our quarters, not to our helmets.”  Miko explained.  “And the intercom system is not heard very well in the ‘busier’ places of the city.” 

“Like the market.” 

“Aye.  Commander Anko no doubt have sent messages out both ways and now had to send out runners, like poor Rtas, to fetch those that either missed it or are ignoring it.” 

“Why would _anyone_ dare ignore a recall?” 

Miko got a leering grin on his face.  “A lot of warriors take the opportunity during shore leave to get with some ladies, if you get my meaning.” 

Zeno got it all right.  “Is that what you were doing last night?” 

Again, Miko gave him an insulted look.  “Not on your life.  Now come on, the clock is ticking.” 

“Wait, should we not stop by our quarters first?”  Zeno said when he noticed Miko had started heading in the direction of one of the many docks in the city.  “I doubt I will need these on the ship….” 

“Maybe not while you are _on_ the ship.  We do get shore leave at one of our colonies from time to time, so you will need them then.” 

“Ah, good to know.  However, considering what our job is, are we not technically on shore leave most of the time?” Miko looked at him and saw the faint grin on Zeno’s face. 

“Being a _warso_ again are we?”  Miko replied with a smile. 

Zeno grinned fully this time.  “Well it is _technically_ correct, is it not?” 

“Only if you consider having to constantly avoid enemy patrols, aggressive animals and with the occasional gun fire coming your way _relaxing_ , than yes. 

“I managed.” 

“Yeah, but your body suffered for it.”  Miko poked him in the belly. 

“OK, OK, it was a lame attempt at a joke.” 

“It is alright:  at least you tried.  Many do not have a sense of humor at all…” 

“Like Justal?” 

The grin on Miko’s face was quite broad.  “Ah so you could see it to eh?” 

“Not that hard to tell when someone has a plasma grenade stuck up their anal cavity.” 

“Too true.  Too true.  Still, he is not bad as some others: at least he apologized for being rude to you.” 

“Well, all things considered he did have good reason to suspect my motives.” 

“Oh yeah…That report your field master made, I cannot believe he would do such a thing.  That anyone would actually….” 

“I can think of at least one other person that would.”  Zeno thought of Ley back home.  “By the way, I do not suppose you know what became of that bastard?” 

Miko’s face turned sullen.  “You are not going to like this Zeno, but…He was cleared of charges.” 

“ _What!?_ ”

“The Council stated there was ‘insignificant evidence’ and other Brute dung, so nothing was done to him.” 

Zeno felt his blood starting to boil.  “So he is free to likely pull that stunt on someone else. I swear…If I ever see that bastard again….” 

“You will do nothing,” Miko said firmly.  “Unless he raised a weapon to you and threatened your life directly, you cannot lay a claw on him.  To do so would risk getting yourself executed for treason.  Besides, currently you would not last in a fight with him. He being a zealot and you _technically_ a minor, skill wise.” 

He growled, but didn’t argue back:  Miko was right.  Even if he knew he wouldn’t get into trouble for killing Yuteri himself, the chances of him succeeding were slim to none in his current state.  It would be like his fight with Ley that one time, the fight that got him the scar on his back.  _I will become stronger,_ he vowed.  _And I will find more evidence against you Yuteri…And should our paths meet, you will find your life ending on the end of my blade._


	4. Sword Training

Miko went into tour guide mode again on the way to the dock, where the phantoms that would take them to the _Seeker of Truth_ were waiting for them.  There were mostly minors on the phantom they boarded, though there were a couple of other specops and a zealot as well.  The fellow specops gave him a curious look, no doubt because they didn’t recognize him.  Zeno suspected he’d be getting a number of those looks initially, until he was introduced formally. 

As the phantom lifted off, Zeno suffered a bit of paranoia.  He kept looking at the zealot on board, to confirm he was not Yuteri.  Eventually he forced himself to stare at the floor instead.  “Have a problem with zealots?”  Miko asked quietly. 

“After what I went through, can you blame me?” Zeno responded. 

“No I suppose not.  Do not worry.  The ship that particular zealot is on is not part of this fleet.  So the chances of meeting up with him are slim indeed.” 

“That is almost disappointing, actually,” Zeno confessed.  “I would love to see the look on his face when he sees I not only survived, but became a specops.” 

“As would I, Zeno,”  Miko said with a chuckle.  “As would I.” 

The rest of the ride was uneventful and soon they were disembarking in one of the hanger bays of the _Seeker of Truth_.  “Let us go to our quarters first,”  Miko said as the left the hanger bay.  “Then I’ll give you a brief tour.” 

“Great…Another tour,”  Zeno said mockingly. 

“I am not going to talk your ear holes of this time,”  Miko said, sounding slightly insulted.  “Just show you the important areas. Like where the showers, mess and training rooms are.” 

“And how do I know you will not go into a tirade about who did what in certain rooms?” 

“Uh…” 

“Thought so,”  Zeno grinned broadly. 

“Warso.”  Miko punched him in the arm. 

They arrived at their room a few moments later.  It looked largely the same as the one on _High Charity_ , minus a full bath.  And one other important thing, or rather, _lack_ of…. 

“Miko…There is only one bed in here…,”  Zeno said, his eyes widening. 

Miko’s face turned a very deep shade of purple.  “Oh Forerunners…I have been without a partner for so long I had them take out the spare bed.” 

“Well I am not about to sleep in the same bed as you, or sleep on the floor for that matter!” 

Miko looked almost disappointed.  “Do not worry, I will get this fixed.  I just hope the requisition office has not…Um… _Reassigned_ the bed yet.” 

“Best go check quickly.” 

“Right, right.”  Miko left quickly, almost running, toward where ever the requisition office was.  Zeno sighed and put the sets of clothing that were purchased earlier in the dresser on his side of the room. 

“I see Miko went against Anko’s recommendation to not remove the other bed.”  A familiar voice said.  Zeno turned to see Sub-Commander Rtas in the doorway. 

“Apparently so, sub-commander,”  Zeno said with a sigh.  “I am assuming that was the only hint he gave him that he has a new partner.” 

“Most likely and I am surprised he did not catch on.  But I suppose as long as he has been without a partner, he assumed he would never have one again.” 

“Assuming is never a good thing, I am told.  You certainly got back here quickly sub-commander.” 

“The last individual I needed to find was not far from where I bumped into you two,”  Rtas explained.  “What are you two planning on doing after settling back in?” 

“Miko was going to show me around the ship, sir, but it seems he will be busy trying to get another bed for the time being.  I take it you want do put me through more training?” 

Rtas shook his head.  “Unfortunately I have other duties to attend to today.  Besides, I believe you are strong enough to take part of the daily training regimen with the rest of the troops now.  I would also encourage you to train on your time as well.

“As for finding your way around the ship, I can show you a few key areas on the way to performing my other duties, if you prefer.” 

“I would greatly appreciate it, sir,”  Zeno said.  “I know _you_ will not talk my ear holes off in the process.” 

Rtas chuckled deeply and beckoned for him to follow. 

\--- 

Rtas was indeed short and to the point during his own, short, tour of the ship.  As he didn’t have time like he said, he just showed him the key areas closest to Zeno’s quarters.  This included the mess, training room and two different shower halls.  “What is the difference between the two shower halls, sir?”  he asked.  “If there is any that is.” 

“The first one I showed you is an open bay shower,”  Rtas explained.  “Which you are surely familiar with during your time as a minor.” 

Zeno nodded, remembering all too well the sheer lack of privacy in that style of shower hall.  Lack of privacy and open invitation for his unnatural thoughts to surface, which lead up to the trouble he had with Field Master Yuteri  “Yes, I am, sir.  And the other one?” 

“That is the officers shower hall.  It has individual stalls with curtains or doors for added privacy.  All specops and those of ultra rank and higher are permitted to use it.” 

“So there is the chance I may end up meeting the supreme commander in there,”  Zeno mused, mostly to himself.  “Who is the current supreme commander?” 

“Thel ‘Vadamee,”  Came the response.  “He has only held the position for about a year, but has already proven himself a capable, strong leader.” 

Zeno wanted to ask him if he knew how Thel felt about people like him, but decided it would be inappropriate.  He figured he would likely find out soon enough anyway, so he opted to change the subject.  “Will there be any training at all today, sir?” 

“Today, no: with everyone preparing to depart there is little point to scheduling a training session.  You are free to train on your own if you wish today, in fact I would encourage you to.” 

“I may just do that, sir.  Who knows how long it will take Miko to get another bed.” 

“If he fails to obtain one today, let me or the commander know:  we will happily assign him _temporary_ sleeping arrangements until he succeeds.”  There was a slight smirk on Rtas’ face. 

Zeno could not help but laugh at that. 

\--- 

After he and Rtas parted ways, Zeno returned to the training room he was shown earlier.  It wasn’t quite as big as the one on _High Charity_ , but it was still impressive.  What caught Zeno’s eye more though was the array of different weapons hanging on the racks on the walls. There were weapons of many styles, ranging from staves, lances, double bladed and single bladed swords  _It looks like every weapon known to Sangheili is here…_ , he thought with awe as he browsed the racks.  _Maybe…just maybe…_   Zeno started searching the racks thoroughly, looking for one specific weapon. 

He found it after some effort and he plucked the hilt of the Kisen blade off the rack as if it was the most valuable thing in the room.  To him, it was the most valuable thing.  At last, after so many months, he held the blade of his keep in his hand again.  With a purr, he ignited the blade, noting how the plasma was a different color.  Understandable, as this was most likely meant for training, not actual combat: it wouldn’t do for someone practicing to accidently cut their own limbs off after all.  He also noted that the blade was a slightly different style, with the bottom blade coming out more to a point on the front.  No matter, that didn’t affect how the weapon was used. 

Zeno started performing the basic katas he was taught back home and was pleased to find that his body still remembered despite the abuse it had been put through.  He put himself through the motions again and again, feeling at home with this blade.  Closing his eyes, he could almost see Kou coaching him, telling him not only what he was doing wrong, but what he was doing _right_. 

He was so wrapped up in his practicing and memories, that he didn’t even realize he was being watched.  

“Interesting weapon of choice,” a voice said suddenly. 

Zeno, half out of being startled, half out of reflex, swung around, his weapon leading.  The moment he recognized the speaker he stopped his attack, inches from Commander Anko’s face.  “Excellent control,” the commander said, not even flinching. 

“C-c-commander!”  Zeno dropped his blade as he staggered back a couple of paces in shock.  The weapons safety feature activated and turned itself off before it even hit the ground.  Wordlessly, Anko knelt down, picked up the weapon and turned it over in his hands a few times. 

“Kisen blade is its name, if my memory serves me, correct?”  Zeno nodded silently.  “A rather non-traditional weapon for our people.” 

“It was the traditional weapon of the nomads, from whom my line originates, commander,”  Zeno explained once the shock of his commander having startled him like that wore off.  “Many in my keep prefer to use it over the traditional energy sword.” 

“I see,” Anko turned it on experimentally, studying the blades orientation before turning it off again and handing it back to Zeno.  “What is the purpose of the bottom blade?  It seems to be in an awkward position for a battle.” 

Either Anko truly didn’t know or he was testing him.  Either way, Zeno knew it was best to answer honestly.  “Defense mainly, sir, though it can used offensively if the right opportunity arises.” 

“Hmmm…Show me.” 

Before Zeno could explain that he had only seen the such a move a few times, let alone perform it himself, Anko ignited his own blade and attacked.  Zeno was forced to reignite his blade quickly and fend of his commander’s attacks.  At the same time he thought feverishly, searching through his memories, trying to recall the circumstance that would be the trigger for the move. 

 _Will not get it by being defensive,_ he suddenly remembered. _Yes, that is right.  The opponent must do a downward parry, at least for the move I know of._   That of course required him to actually do some attacking of his own, so with little choice he did. 

Anko took his attacks in stride, blocking and parrying easily.  It took a while to actually coax the right parry out of the commander: whether that was due to Anko’s experience or not was hard to tell.  When he did, Zeno quickly brought up his elbow in an upward arc, the bottom blade leading.  In the heat of the moment, Zeno forgot to actually hold back, his attack striking the commander on the side of the head.  Anko’s shields took the blow easily, but the shock on Anko’s face was evident: he was clearly taken by surprise.  When Zeno realized what had happened, he quickly backed off. 

“Ah….”  Anko said once the shock wore off, turning off his blade:  Zeno did the same.  “So it is more of a counter move.” 

“This one is at least, sir.” 

“There are more like that?” 

“Yes sir, but I had not been shown the others.” 

“Why is that?  I find it odd that your keep did not show you all relevant moves prior to your departure.” 

Zeno took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves.  He didn’t want to lie to Anko, especially considering how kind and understanding he has been with him.  Yet he felt very uncomfortable revealing his shame. “When my uncle discovered what I was, he forbade me from further training.  I only know as much as I do because my kaidon stepped in and continued it when he could.” 

Anko made a noise deep in his throat and turned to one side, his arms now folded across his chest.  “So your uncle, denied you the training you deserved simply because you were different and only your kaidon saw the how wrong that was?” 

“He and my sister, sir,”  Zeno corrected.  “Though in my sister’s case there was little she could do about it.” 

“I am surprised he did not try to use his position to force your uncle to continue your training.” 

“I think he suspected he would have been more likely to get me killed, sir…,”  Zeno said quietly.  “Considering my uncle actually _did_ try to kill me when he caught me practicing once.” 

“Your kaidon sounds like a man with a good sense of perception and views similar to my own.” 

“You do remind me of him a lot, sir.” 

Anko smiled, turning back toward him.  “Then it is an honor that I do.”  Zeno felt himself blush a little at that.  “You have the potential to be a great swordsman, Zeno, but you have a lot of work to do.  For instance, your form when performing that counter…” The commander stepped forward and pointed out a scorch mark on his left shoulder piece.  “That was from your own blade:  if your sword had been a real one, you likely would have severed your own arm.” 

Zeno felt the blood drain from his face when he realized that.  “In truth sir, that was the first time I performed that move myself.” 

“Then you are especially fortunate that you were using the training version of the blade.  Many rookies gravely injured themselves trying new moves when using real blades.  There are two other things I feel I should point out as well.” 

“What are those, sir?” 

“First, have your shield systems active at all times when training with the sword, even with the training ones.  It will help you know when your form is still _hazardous_ to your own well-being.” 

“Noted sir.  And the other?” 

“Second, your other arm: you have a hard time keeping it out of harms way.  I could have severed it severed it several times if I had wished.”  Zeno subconsciously rubbed his arm, shivering.  “You either need to tame its desire to be removed from your person, or keep it busy with something else.” 

“That is right…,”  Zeno said, remembering something.  “The Kisen is usually paired with a shield, or another Kisen.  Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to start on either road.” 

“Then your training is only half done.  We need to rectify that.”  Anko said.  “But which path did you want to take, Zeno?  Duel wield or shield?” 

Zeno didn’t need to think about it.  “Duel wield, sir.” 

“Well then, the sooner you start the better.  Speak to my son, he is getting proficient in duel wielding the standard blade and can get you started.  Once he has no more to teach you, I would recommend a rookie named Bero ‘Kusovai:  he has a natural talent for swordsmanship and is already a master.” 

“Your son…Rtas.” 

“Ah, so you found out.”  There was a faint smile on the commander’s face. 

“I noticed the resemblance, sir, though I am surprised you referred to him as such.” 

Anko’s face darkened a bit.  “Much like your kaidon did with you Zeno, I took Rtas under my arm myself due to…Unique circumstances.” 

Zeno knew better then to pry.  “Understood sir.  Thank you for your recommendations.” 

Anko nodded.  “I look forward to seeing you progress Zeno.  Walk the Path, brother.” 

“Thank you sir, and you too.” 

After Anko left, Zeno did some more practicing on his own before heading back to his room.  Upon entering, he saw that Miko did manage to get the bed back, but Miko himself was missing.  Clicking his lower mandibles in a Sangheilian shrug, he stripped himself of his armor plates, setting them on the armor rack by his bed before heading for the showers. 

When he arrived at the officers shower hall, he was a bit surprised.  He was expecting only a few stalls, but this shower hall turned out to be massive.  There were stalls along three walls and in the center; there were ranks and benches where individuals could place their armor and towels.  Immediately he recognized that there was still a chance of those nasty unnatural thoughts of his to surface in here, namely while people were dressing and undressing.  Fortunately, it didn’t look like there was anyone in here now, so Zeno felt safe enough to take an unused towel from the stack, chose a bench and start stripping off his battlesuit. 

He had just finished doing so when he heard the unmistakable sound of one of the shower doors opening directly opposite of him.  _Great, I am already failing in this Recon business,_ he thought with a frown as he fought the urge to look over his shoulder to see who it was.  And perhaps see how good of a body he had.... 

Damnation!  Already he was having those thoughts!  He could hear the individual humming softly to himself, in some tune he did not recognize.  Slowly, despite his resolve _not_ to, he looked over his shoulder and soundlessly gasped at what he saw.  The individual had his back to him, but Zeno knew he was instantly due to the mottling on his back.  _Damn you Miko…Must you remind me of what I am every time you are undressed?_  

Miko had yet to dry his back, which gave his skin a slick sexy look that made Zeno’s head spin.  Quickly he turned back around and took a few deep breaths, trying to clear the thoughts from his head.  After a moment, he realized that those thoughts were the _least_ of his worries when he looked down.  _Not again!_ _Forerunners help me!_ Zeno thought with a gasp at the sight of his own shaft.  Thinking fast he threw the towel around himself and ducked into the nearest stall.  There he quickly figured out the controls and turned on the cold water, thankful this happened within short distance of a means to ‘de-erection’ himself.  He was also thankful that the cold water did its work quickly, as he certainly did not want to give himself hypothermia. 

“Either the hot water switch is broken in there or you like cold showers, Zeno,”  Miko’s voice said suddenly, slightly muffled by the door and the sound of the water. 

 _Great, just wonderful_.  _He saw me…,_ Zeno thought.  “How did you know it as me?” he asked, trying his best to keep his voice even. 

“The scar on your back, plus there are not many Sangheili that are as dark in skin tone as you.  Oh!  I put a dry towel on the hook next to the stall for you.” 

“Huh?  Why?”  Zeno asked, perplexed. 

He could almost hear the smile on the Miko’s face.  “’Cause you ran in there without taking the one you had on you off first.” 

Zeno looked down, only to see a now very wet and soggy towel on the floor at his feet.  “Oh…Um…Thanks.” 

“No problem. Try to pay more attention next time OK?” 

 _‘Pay more attention’…Indeed…,_   Zeno thought as he heard the him depart, his expression one of worry.  He hoped to the gods that Miko didn’t see _why_ he ran into the stall with a towel still on.  Yet the thought of him actually seeing it…. 

Quickly, he squashed the naughty, unnatural thoughts that were starting to surface before they could cause another ‘problem’.  Zeno instead forced himself to focus on washing and not on how good it may feel for his shaft to be _in_ Miko.


	5. Semo

When he returned to his room, he found that Miko had still not gotten dressed fully: his battlesuit was at ‘half-mast’ and he apparently was in no hurry to finish pulling it on.  “Miko finish getting dressed for Forerunners sake,” Zeno muttered, averting his eyes and heading straight for his own bed. 

“Why?” Miko asked.  “You think I am ugly?” 

“N-no….”  Zeno felt the heat of another blush rise to his face.  “F-far from that.”  _Dear Gods, did I just say that?_  

“Alright, so why are you insisting on me staying clothed?” 

“Be…Because I do not want to risk…Um…Offending you.” 

“Offend me?  How so?  Oooh, that is right, you are a _semo_.” 

Zeno looked at him, blinking. “A what?” 

“A _semo_.  You never heard that term before?”  Zeno shook his head.  “Ah, it means someone whom is attracted to his or her own gender.” 

 _How the hell did he…Wait…_ Zeno suddenly remembered that Miko _was_ on the mission that rescued him and that he was actually present when Zeno told the tale on why Yuteri abandoned him on that planet.  “I see…So you are not…Offended…By my…” 

“Forerunners no, you should know that by now.  Besides, I would be a hypocrite if I was, considering I am a _semo_ myself.” 

Zeno stared at him, wide eyed in shock.  Now he knew what Rtas had meant when he said they had something in common:  they were both freaks.  “And…You…Just accept what you are?  Considering how unnatural our thoughts are?” 

“Those thoughts are not unnatural.  If they were, we would not be thinking them in the first place.” 

“A lot of people would disagree with you there….” 

“Such people are fools.  Until they know what it is like to be in our hooves they have no right to judge us.” 

Zeno snorted softly and lay down on the bed, his back to Miko.  “Maybe they do have a right to judge us as they do,” he said softly.  “We cannot reproduce with each other after all and mating strictly for pleasure is uncultured.” 

“’Uncultured’, what a bunch of prudes,” Miko snorted.  “If the act was not pleasurable, no one would be doing it in the first place.  Besides, people like us can still get it on with a female if we really wanted to have little ones, though I admit it would feel rather awkward.” 

“Little ones….”  Zeno felt a pang in his gut.  “I would love to have some, but I am unable…” 

“Oh that is right, you mentioned that before.  You never did explain why….” 

Zeno felt no reason not to explain it now.  “Just as I hit the age of adolescence, I was struck by a blood illness and the treatment for it causes infertility.  My uncle and mentor, Ley, opted not to allow the treatment, stating I was better off dead.  However, my kaidon found out and forced the medics to give me the treatment anyway.  To this day I do not know why…And some days I wish I would have been left to die….” 

“If you had died then, you would not be where you are now.”  Miko pointed out. 

“But was it worth all the pain I went through to get here?” 

“Only you can answer that, Zeno.” 

“I do not think it is…Not while I still have these thoughts.” 

“Oh there you go again with that ‘unnatural thoughts’ business.”  Miko was suddenly hovering over him.  “Am I going to have to beat it into you that there is nothing wrong with how you feel?” 

Miko’s scent washed over him, triggering those thoughts and in response, his shaft start to harden again. “Get away from me!”  Zeno cried, shoving the other male away.  Miko, caught off guard, landed on his rump beside the bed, looking stunned.  Zeno felt a brief stab of regret for his impulse action, hoping Miko wasn’t hurt.  It passed quickly though and he quickly turned his back to him again. 

“You are confused…And frightened…By how you feel.”  He heard Miko say after a moment of silence.  “Perhaps even ashamed.”  He felt Miko put his hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch.  “Zeno…I can tell you struggled to be accepted since you discovered what you are,” he said to him softly. “But before you can fight to have others accept you for who and what you are, you must first accept yourself.” 

“I have accepted myself,” Zeno said stiffly.  “I am a freak.” 

“No, no you have not.  If you truly have accepted what and who you are you would not be acting like this.” 

“Oh and you know this?” 

“I do.” 

“Right….” 

There was a heavy sigh.  “You will not get far in life if you continue on like this.” 

“Just leave me alone.”  Zeno brushed his hand off his shoulder. 

“I will not,” Miko said.  “I will not leave you be while you destroy yourself.” 

“I am not destroying myself.” 

“You are, you just do not realize it yet.  By suppressing, burying that part of you, you are only hurting yourself.” 

“I am fine.” 

“No you are not.  By denying who and what you are, the only path you will ever find is one of bitterness and self hate.” 

“Oh, so instead of a life ‘hating myself’, I should live a life where I am hated and despised by everyone else?”  Zeno growled, rolling over and sitting up to look him in the eye.  “You forget, the moment everyone learns what I am their attitude toward me goes south.” 

“That is not true and you know that.  The commander’s attitude didn’t change toward you.  Neither did Sefo or Bateli’s.” 

Zeno turned his head away.  “They…They were exceptions.” 

“Oh, so you do not consider their feelings toward you to be important?  Same with your kaidon?” 

“Leave my kaidon out of this!”  Zeno snapped, jumping to his feet. 

“Oh so you love your kaidon, do you not?” 

“Not in the way you are thinking!” 

“Of course not, but my point still stands.  The people you respected the most and still do today, did not care what you were, they respected you, loved you, for who you are.  They accepted you as you are and I am sure it pains them that you have not learned to do the same for yourself.”  When Zeno didn’t respond, he added.  “If you continue as you are, you are no better then the ones that do hate people like us.” 

The comment made Zeno’s blood temp rise.  “Do not compare me to those _people_.” 

“Why not?”  Miko folded his arms.  “With how you talk about yourself, you might as well be one of them.  You could fit in with all the other haters.” 

“I am not one of _them_!” Zeno bellowed.  

“One of who?  A s _emo_ or a _semo_ hater?  You can only be one….” 

Zeno lost it then.  Whether it was due to his own inner turmoil or Miko’s words he didn’t know, but he lunged at Miko, his fists swinging.  The older Sangheili was caught off guard, receiving a blow to his face. He quickly recovered though, and started fighting back.  Zeno may have had size and youth on this side, but in truth the fight was stacked against him.  Miko not only had experience and a cooler head, but Zeno also had not yet recovered fully from his ordeal on the planet. 

Still, no matter how much his lungs burned, or his muscles ached, Zeno did not allow himself to give in.  It wasn’t until he was too exhausted to move that he finally conceded defeat, Miko standing over him with his arms folded over his chest with an ‘are you finished yet’ expression on his face.  Battered and bruised, hurting both physically and mentally, Zeno started weeping.  He felt so pathetic, weak and ashamed, both because he lost the fight and due to his own confusion about himself. 

“Zeno….”  He heard Miko say softly as he helped him sit up.  “I was in your position once, long ago.  Full of fear and bitterness at what I was feeling.  Feeling like a freak, unwanted, and unloved.  I was not getting very far in my career because of it.  Because I was too busy trying to ward off those feelings to concentrate fully on my duties, making myself look like a fool to my superiors, whom considered me barely worthy of my rank.

“Then I met someone who taught me how to accept myself for who I was.  Once that happened, I felt a lot better about myself and my work ethics improved.  Unfortunately, my reputation was pretty much ruined by then and my superiors only saw me for who I was in the past, not the present.  That is until I met another special person.” 

Zeno could see where this was going.  “Commander Anko….” 

Miko grinned.  “Correct, only he was just a sub-commander at the time.  He was able to convince his commander to let me in and give me a chance.  And I am still here today.” 

“But if you have been in the SpecOps that long, should you not be an officer by now?” 

His comrade’s face went sullen again.  “I was being considered for it, though it would have likely meant I would have been pulled from recon.  Good recon troops are hard to come by, so Anko was reluctant to let me go.  Then I lost him….” 

“Who?” 

“My partner…And my means of coping ended up not being to the higher ups liking, despite Anko’s assurances.” 

“The pranks…Do I even want to know?” 

“Well there was one time I put the contents of an unggoy’s food nipple in a major’s drink pouch….” 

Zeno made a face.  “How horrible…” 

“Please, that was tame.  I have done worse.” 

“Now I really do not want to know.” 

“You will likely found out anyway eventually.”  There was a slightly unsettling grin on Miko’s face now.  “Cause I have not needed to do it to cope for a while now: I just keep doing it because it is _fun_.”  The grin disappeared and he poked him in the shoulder.  “But enough about me…Did my little tale of woe get through to you?” 

Zeno turned his head away to think a moment, recalling what Miko told him.  The first part sounded eerily familiar, like he had heard it before.  No, correction, he had, _was_ living through it _now_.  It was true:  he was miserable.  The only reason he got as far as he did because of the love and understanding he received from Lila, Kou, Anko…, and now Miko.  “I do not know if I can change how I feel about myself…,” he admitted finally. 

“I did and so can you.”  Suddenly he felt Miko beside him, the smooth skin of his chest partly against his back and one hand against his chest.  He was embracing him…And it felt good, so good he felt himself start to cry again.  “I want to help you Zeno…I want to help you become the best you can be.  But I can only do so if you let me.” 

“Why…Why did you not tell me you went through this yourself before I tried to kick your ass?” 

“Because I could tell you had a lot of anger in you Zeno, anger you needed to let out.  It is never good to let that fester inside you. Plus, I doubted you would have listened anyway.” 

“Probably not….” 

“There is a wonderful, beautiful person inside of you, Zeno.  You just have to let that person out.” 

“I do not know…I-I feel afraid of what others may think….” 

“Forget what others think of you.  If they do not like you for who you are, just ignore them, pay attention to those that do care about you.  Like me.” 

“You…” 

“Zeno, like I told you, I have been through what you are going through now.  Something like this, it helps to have someone by your side, helping you through it, like I did.” 

“I do not know what to do….” 

“Well, think about the times you felt good about yourself and hold onto it.  You did have such times yes?” 

Zeno thought a moment and then nodded slowly.  “A few…,” he said quietly.  “Mostly when I was with my kaidon, or my sister, or when I was…with you and the rest of the squad during time on that planet.” 

“All people that accepted you for who you are.”  A nod.  “Now, how did you feel when Justal kept trying to talk you down?” 

“At…At first I felt depressed, but later…I felt his views were not important, illogical even.” 

“That is good, you do the same for everyone else that tries to do the same.” 

“But Justal did not like me because he thought I was a heretic, not because I was a _semo_.” 

“Not much difference when it comes to the hate a heretic and a _semo_ get from their peers, Zeno.” 

“No, I suppose you are right.  But what about ’accidents’?” 

“Accidents?” 

“Um…Unwanted arousal….” 

“Ah.  Depends on what you mean by ‘unwanted’.”  Miko gave him a wink.  “Now if it happens in a public place with no means of ‘excusing’ yourself to splash cold water on your person, then what I usually do is think of the most disgusting thing I can think of.” 

“Like….?” 

“Oh like say a Brute and a kig-yar getting it on.” 

“I should not have asked….”  Zeno already felt sick. 

“Hey, it worked did it not?” 

“I was not aroused to begin with….” 

Miko chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.  “But I know you have been, recently I might add.” 

Zeno felt his face turn purple.  “How?” 

“This morning, when I got up to take a morning shower the water was still set to super cold.” 

His blush deepened.  “Sorry about that….” 

“It is OK.  So who is it that is getting you worked up hmm?  Rtas?  He does have a nice tush….” 

“Miko!”  Zeno did not think he could blush any deeper at this point.  “No, it is not Rtas…And I would rather not say.” 

“Ah, fair enough.  I do not think Rtas swings either way to begin with.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Well the only one he has shown any kind of affection toward his old man…And his work.  I think he is an _amo_ , attracted to neither males or females.” 

“So you know Rtas and Anko are….” 

“Related?  Yep, was not that hard to figure out for me.  The guy never takes shore leave either from what I have noticed.  Hell, only time he ever leaves the ship is when it is on a mission or other official business.  Do not know how he can keep himself sane to be honest:  I would go stir crazy.” 

Zeno remembered what Anko told him earlier in the day, about how he took Rtas under his arm himself due to unique circumstances.  Miko’s new information about their sub-commander got him wondering just what those ‘unique circumstances’ were.  What Anko said did elude to Rtas having a similar history to his own and Zeno could only wonder at just how similar their pasts really were.


	6. Loss

The next day Zeno was introduced to key personal on-board the _Seeker of Truth_.  He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous when he was introduced to the supreme commander himself, Thel ‘Vadamee.  That man had an imposing, intimidating aura about him.  Fortunately, Thel regarded him with respect:  Zeno suspected that Anko had told him about what he did on the planet.  Afterward, Anko told him what his duties would be until he went on his first mission.  Nothing major or strenuous actually, considering he was still in recovery mode. 

The next few days after that turned out rather routine, his days comprised of mostly training and light duties.  Miko, during this time, didn’t directly interact with him much, giving Zeno space.  Space and time he needed to sort through his troubled mind when it wasn’t focused on training or work. 

Zeno realized that the wise words of his kaidon and Miko’s went together. He wondered if Kou had been trying to do the same as Miko was.  _I cannot very well prove my worth to myself…If I do not accept who I am first,_ he thought one day as he sat on his bed, contemplating.  Miko himself was still performing his light duty for the day:  Zeno had completed his not long ago.. 

He wanted to accept who he was, but fear kept holding him back.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of ridicule.  A fear that was all too clearly justified by Ley and Yuteri in the past.  A fear he needed to defeat if he was to move on.  _I do not want to be a coward…I want to be a fighter._  

His mind went to Miko himself.  Nothing _sexual_ for once, but Zeno started recalling how kind he had been to him since they first met.  He caught him looking at him a few times, a soft, kind smile on his face.  Briefly, ever so briefly, Zeno thought he recognized the light of desire in his eyes.  Did Miko like him more then he let on? 

He remembered the day of their little fistfight, how Miko embraced him afterward.  Zeno could remember the warmth of his body penetrating his bodysuit and entering him.  The feel of his duel hearts pounding against his back.  The smell of his breath washing over his neck and the soft, gentle touch of his hands.  It had felt so good, so warm that Zeno found himself wanting more. 

Yet fear again rose up.  What if Miko didn’t like him that way?  What if his actions were purely innocent, the actions of a man that was naturally more affectionate then the norm?  He was afraid to ask him upfront, fearing he was wrong about Miko’s intentions. 

 With a heavy sigh, Zeno shook his head, driving those thoughts out of his mind for the time being.  He had advanced swordsmen training with Rtas soon and it wouldn’t do for his mind to be distracted like this.  Rtas was a rough trainer, after all. 

Just as he started to reattach his armor to the bodysuit, his comm link buzzed.  “Zeno here,”  he said. 

 _~Zeno, you have a message.~_ A voice he recognized as one of the communication officers onboard.  _~Shall I send it to your quarters?~_  

“Yes please.  Thank you.” 

A moment later, he heard the room console chime in acknowledgment of a message received.  _I wonder who the message is from,_ he thought as accessed the message.  Zeno was pleasantly surprised when he saw it was from Lila, his sister, whom he hadn’t spoken to since he left to join the military.  That meant she had received the message he sent a few days ago.  Eager to see what she felt, he opened the message. 

At first glance, he realized the message itself was rather short.  That was OK, Lila probably didn’t have much time to compose a lengthy message.  Then he read the message itself…. 

 _I am sorry brother, but Kou is dead._  

Zeno blinked. This can’t be right.  He read the message again and again, only it didn’t change.  His hearts sank and despair set in:  Kou was dead.  One of the most important people in his life was gone, forever.  He felt his world start to break apart, then the next thing he saw in the message shattered it completely. 

Kou had died while he was still on _High Charity_ , the same day he had sent his message in fact.  Did Kou see his message before he passed on?  From how Lila worded her brief message, it seemed he did not.  Oh why…Oh why hadn’t he sent that message sooner?  He knew Kou’s hearts would have soared at the news he was in the specops, what a gift it would have been to give him that honor.  But no, his message had arrived too late. 

Other questions and doubts began to invade his mind.  Did Kou know he had been cleared of the false charges against him?  Did he die thinking he was a heretic?  It was too much…far too much for Zeno to take.  Forgetting about everything else, he collapsed on his bed, tears flowing freely as he buried his face in his pillow. 

He did not know how long he lay there, sobbing, and he was only vaguely aware that someone had entered the room.  “Sub-commander Rtas is angry that you skimped out on your training session,” Miko’s voice said, penetrating the gloom of his mind.  Zeno slowly unburied his face from the pillow to look up at him, seeing the hardness in Miko’s face.  But that hardness quickly softened when he saw his face.  “Zeno…What is wrong?” 

For a moment, Zeno couldn’t find the will to answer, but eventually he choked out, “Someone important to me has gone on the Great Journey….” 

Miko’s expression turned to one of sympathy and then suddenly he was sitting by him on his bunk.  He was so close that he could smell his sweet scent and feel his body heat.  Miko started to rub his back, the sensation soothing his wrecked mind and body.  Not long ago, he would have pushed him away, telling him to leave him alone.  Right now though, he wanted the attention, the comfort…The love.  

“Talk to me,” Miko said softly.  “Tell me about this person whose death has made you so sad.” 

Zeno hesitated for a moment; then started telling him about Kou.  How he was always firm yet gentle with him and the other kids.  Told him how he took over his training when Ley forbid him from it.  About how he saved his life when Ley tried to kill him, then personally tended to his wounds.  Kou had never given up on him, always did his best to keep his spirits up.  Now he was gone and with him was one less reason to ever return to his keep. 

While he was talking, he only slightly became consciously aware of how Miko was handling him.  At first Miko only rubbed his back, then his shoulders.  Some where on the way Miko had removed his own armor, then coaxed him to lean into him, Zeno feeling the beats of his hearts through his back.  Then for some strange reason Zeno decided to turn over so he could lay his head on Miko’s shoulder and Miko returned to rubbing his back.  By the time he was done talking, they were both laying down, Zeno with his head and one arm on Miko’s chest. 

Zeno was confused:  was it Miko that coaxed this or did he do this on his own?  Maybe a bit of both?  A part of him, a very small part of him, was telling him to pull away, quickly, before things went any further.  He paid that part no heed, for the warmth he was feeling was comforting, the caresses being played upon his back soothing. 

Best yet, he didn’t feel so alone. 

He didn’t care that he fell asleep, right in Miko’s arms. 

\--- 

_18 years before the first Halo event…_

**Sangheilos, Ribal Keep**

 

Two pairs of eyes, one dark orange, the other emerald, peeked out of a darkened alcove close to the deepest parts of the keep.  Zeno and his twin sister, Lila, looked around, trying to see if any adults were approaching.  They both felt a mix of excitement and anxiety, hoping they would not be caught sneaking around in a place they did not belong.  Of the pair, it was Lila that showed this fear more. 

“We are not supposed to be here…,” Lila whined, her voice squeaking a bit. 

Zeno rolled his eyes. “If you are scared, then go back to the common rooms,” he said as he looked around once again for any one wandering the halls. 

“No…,” his twin said, Zeno noticing the determination in her voice. “I am curious too. And I do not want my brother to be the only one to be in trouble….” 

“ _If_ we are caught that is,” Zeno said with a smirk as he slipped out of their hiding place and crept toward another hiding spot. “Just a quick look and we will leave.” 

Their goal was the Stone Hall, the hallowed place of their keep where only the kaidon, the elders and other privileged Sangheili were allowed to enter.  Children like them were not permitted beyond the nursery wards of the keep proper and that they had snuck this far without being spotted spoke poorly of the guard’s vigilance.  Luck continued to hold for the pair and they soon entered the Stone Hall itself. 

They gasped in awe at its size.  “Whoa…Cool,” Lila said as they wandered the room, gazing at the towering stone arches over their heads.  Eventually, Zeno spotted the stone slabs their keeps Saga was etched upon. 

“Look sis,” he said, pointing them out. “It is the Saga of our keep.” Zeno had heard that before the Ribal line had established itself as a State, their ancestors had to keep there Saga written on pieces of parchment, parchment that eventually had to be replaced due to decay. Now though, the accomplishments of their line, from ancient history until now, were now permanently preserved in stone.  Only the fall of their keep would risk its destruction. 

As Lila joined his side, Zeno marveled at the chiseled words.  It was hard to fathom, that prior to the formation of the Covenant, his line had been little more than keepless nomads.  Considered outcasts and heathens, they barely made a living among the plains, keeping out of sight of the patrols from the owners of the keep that existed back then.  Unlike many keeps of that day, the old rulers had not chosen the location of their keep with care and it was largely blasted into ruins during the Sangheili/San ‘Shyuum war. 

Seeing opportunity, his ancestors raided the keep and slew the remaining occupants before they could reorganize after the war ended. The State of ‘Ribal rose out of the ashes of that brief, bloody conflict. They quickly reestablished the keep in a more defensible location up against the valley wall, carving it into the rock of the mountain over the next several years. The old keep was only just barely visible in the distance, its ruins now a grazing area for the herds. The Ribal line transformed into a respected farming and herding State in a relatively short time, thanks the wise guidance of the first kaidon and those that succeeded him.  Their current kaidon, Kou ‘Ribalee, continued this proud line with wisdom and honor. 

“Children are not allowed in here,” a voice said, making both their hearts skip a beat. 

“K-kaidon…,” Lila breathed as they looked toward the speaker, seeing kaidon Kou himself standing at the entrance, his massive arms folded across his chest. Then in just a couple of strides, he was in front of them, his towering frame forcing them to crane their necks uncomfortably. 

“So…,” Kou said, a stern look on his face. “What possessed you two to disobey protocols and risk my wrath?” 

“W-we…We are just learning the Saga of our Keep,” Zeno said, his throat dry. “We…We wanted to see the words for ourselves.” It wasn’t _entirely_ true, as he did it more to buck authority then out of curiosity of the written lines, but he wasn’t about to tell the _kaidon_ that. 

“Really now?” Kou said, a slight smirk appearing on his face. “Was it out of concern your uncle may have gotten some of it wrong?” 

“Uh….” 

“Well then, let me alleviate your concerns.” The massive Sangheili guided them to where the Saga started. “Read it.” 

 _Is this supposed to be our punishment?_ Zeno thought, fighting to keep himself from laughing as he started to read. _This is a joke._  

“Outloud,” the kaidon added. “Together.” 

Zeno and Lila looked at each other, Zeno’s earlier thought that his would be easy quickly evaporating. With a quiver in their voice’s they started to recite their Lineage’s Saga from the beginning. It took a few attempts to get themselves in sync, but soon they were reading the Saga at a steady clip. The kaidon had to help them with a few words along the way due to their still relatively limited vocabulary, but after a couple of hours they finally completed. 

“Now…What have we learned here today?” Kou said as he hefted both of them up into his arms. 

“The history of our Keep…,” Zeno said, his throat very dry and raw. 

“No, no, besides that.” 

“Oh…Um…Not to go poking our noses into places we have not earned the right to yet….” 

“That is better,” Kou said, beaming. 

“Kaidon have you seen….Oh,” Ley said as he entered the Hall, stopping short when he saw them. “My sincere apologies kaidon…These two slipped away from me somehow.” 

“It is alright, Ley,” Kou said as he set them down on the ground and ushered them toward Ley. “And do not worry about punishing them: I have already taken care of that.  Though you may want to get them some water.” 

“Water…,” Zeno moaned, feeling the dryness in his throat. Lila just groaned wordlessly. 

“Of course, kaidon. Come along you two. It is time for more lessons.” Ley guided them out of the Hall. 

“So long as it does not deal with reading anything…,” Zeno said hoarsely. 

Behind them, the kaidon chuckled deeply. 

\--- 

_Present day…_

 

When Zeno woke up, he found himself alone in bed.  Looking at the time indicator, he found it was very early in the morning.  He looked across the room and saw Miko in his own bed, sleeping soundly.  Did he imagine falling asleep in Miko’s arms?  Had it been simply a dream?  

 _It could not have been…,_ he thought, remembering all too clearly how it felt for Miko to hold him like he did.  To hear his hearts pounding in his chest as he lay in his arms.  So why did he not stay with him?  Was it because he did not want to seem like he was taking advantage of him?  Or perhaps…Because he did not want it to make it appear that he liked him more then Zeno thought he did? 

Zeno was conflicted.  A part of him wanted to sneak over to Miko’s bed and curl up next to him, to soak up the warmth of his body into his own again.  Another part was saying to stay the heck away from him.  The first was stronger, but Zeno was afraid to do something inappropriate and potentially risk scaring Miko away.  He felt lonely, sick, and confused.  

Still, Miko didn’t have to comfort him as he did.  Other Sangheili would have just given him his space to mourn on his own.  What Miko did….No, what he did had to mean something more then simple courtesy.  But how to approach Miko on the subject?  He had no experience on this sort of thing what-so-ever. 

With a heavy sigh Zeno lay his head down on his pillow and closed his eyes.  No point in trying to think of something now, in the wee hours of the morning, so he might as well try to get more sleep.  It was so hard though, to fall asleep again after doing so before with a warm body pressed against him….


	7. Discovery

Zeno did fall asleep again, but it was a fitful sleep.  Dreams and memories of Kou haunted him, bringing fresh tears and pain.  Then he started dreaming of Miko, of his warm touch and kind smile.  It was then he knew, that though Kou was now gone, he wasn’t alone.  There was now someone else to help him through his trials.  

Despite that knowledge, he still woke up with a start.  Looking up from his bed, he saw that he was completely alone in the room:  Miko was not present.  Zeno whined faintly, feeling alone and cold.  _You are mewing like a newborn for his mother,_   he told himself with a sigh.  It couldn’t be helped though, with how he felt.  So he just sat on the edge of his bed, a blanket partly wrapped around him, wishing someone would hug him and hold him close…. 

The door opened then and in walked Miko, wearing only his bodysuit.  Zeno stared at the fine shape of his body until he forced himself to look away.  Not out of shame, for once, but out of respect for all that Miko did for him.  “Morning, Zeno,”  Miko said cheerfully.  “Sleep well?” 

“Kind of…,”  Zeno replied. 

“How do you feel?” 

“Better…But that he is gone…Still hurts….” 

“He will always be with you, Zeno, so long as you keep your memories of him close to your hearts.”  Miko patted him on the shoulder. 

“Miko….”  Zeno stood up and before he could stop himself, wrapped his arms around the other Sangheili and hugged him.  “Thank you….” 

He knew he should let go, but found himself not wanting to.  The warmth of his body against his was so addicting, so soothing.  He even wished these bodysuits would just disappear so that he could feel his bare skin against…. 

 _No, no stop it,_ Zeno thought, quickly realizing the road his mind was going.  Since he still wasn’t sure of Miko’s feelings toward him, it would be rather inappropriate to get an erection right now.  _Brutes and Kig-Yar…Brutes and Kig-Yar!_   That worked, like Miko said it would.  But there was one more problem.  He was still holding Miko. 

“You are welcome.  You can let go now, Zeno,”  Miko said calmly, a sweet smile on his face as he patted his back. 

“I…I am sorry,” Zeno said, blushing as he finally forced himself to let go. 

“It is alright.  You have been through a lot recently, so it is understandable.  Anyway….You better get dressed.  Meal time is soon and I know you must be ravaging right now.” 

He was right:  because of what happened, he never went to the evening meal.  His stomach rumbled loudly in protest for having been empty for so long.  As he started snapping his armor on, Miko started talking again. 

“Oh, I saved your cute ass yesterday.” 

Zeno looked up at him, blushing slightly at the ‘cute’ remark.  “How so?” 

“After you fell asleep, Rtas came to our door.” 

“Oh blood…,”  Zeno cursed, remembering that he did indeed skip out on the training session. 

“Yeah, he was fixing to drag you out and force you to train.  I was able to stop him and explain what was going on.  He understood completely.” 

“Thank the gods….” 

“But….” 

“But….?” 

“You will have a double session today to make up for it.” 

“And I doubt he would allow me to avoid the standard training.”  A nod.  “Oh I am going to be sore tonight….” 

“Taking a nice hot shower will help avoid that.” 

Zeno felt a little disappointed that Miko didn’t offer to give him a massage instead.  _Oh well, maybe some day._  “I will consider that.  Thanks.” 

They both finished getting dressed and headed for the meal hall.  Zeno had to force himself not to gorge on food and only eat a light meal.  It wouldn’t do to eat a heavy meal only to regurgitate it during training later after all.  Then it was time for standard training, which went well, though Zeno caught Rtas looking at him with a certain _look_.  He knew then he was in for it when he came back for swordsman training later. 

Ship duties came after training, followed by lunch and more duties.  After that, Zeno had a brief break, which Zeno opted not to take full advantage of and left his quarters early.  He felt he could save a bit of face with Rtas if he arrived early today.  Whether he would have or not ended up not mattering, for as he headed for the training hall, he stumbled upon a disturbing sight. 

He found Miko in the hallway with another Sangheili whom he did not recognize.  This newcomer was SpecOps and taller then Miko, but not as tall as Zeno:  what he lacked in size he made up for in muscle mass.  Moreover, he was using that muscle to keep Miko pinned to the wall…By his neck.  Either Miko bumped into this man at the wrong time, or there was some kind of history between them. 

As he drew closer to the scene, his blood starting to boil over the fact that someone was _threatening_ Miko’s well-being, he would discover it was the latter. 

“I still owe you for some of the pranks you pulled vileu…,” the other SpecOps growled, his grip still firmly on Miko’s neck. 

“And it seems you still have not found your sense of humor,” Miko retorted, trying vainly to pry the larger Sangheili’s hand off his neck. 

“I do not know what the commander sees in you filth and that you are favored above me really boils my blood.” 

“Maybe if you did not do your job half-assed you would be respected a bit more,” Miko said with a smirk. 

“Maybe I just need to eliminate the competition!”  The other Sangheili then pulled his arm back, fist clenched. 

Zeno’s blood temperature, which was already high, jumped up a few more degrees.  A strong protective feeling, mixed with rage, washed over him.  Miko was like him, a virtual outcast just trying to find his place in this cruel galaxy.  Fighting, competing against those that just do not understand them.  He remembered how he felt when Ley refused to have anything to do with him, save to kill him.  He remembered the bullying he got from Field Master Yuteri.  The disgusted and shunning looks from members of his own keep and others. 

 _I am tired of running.  Tired of just taking it,_ he thought, a low growl rumbling in his throat as he rushed the other Sangheili.  

“That is right…Squirm you little runt…,” the other Sangheili growled, his still fist back and a malicious little smile on his mandibles.  That smile was literally knocked off him when Zeno blindsided him by socking him in the jaw with a strong punch. 

The other male staggered away from the blow, releasing his grip on Miko, whom quickly stood beside Zeno.  The male quickly recovered and glared at them both.  “Who the hell are you?”  He growled.  “And how dare you strike me.” 

“I am Zeno ‘Ribalee,”  Zeno replied with a hiss.  “Miko’s new reconnaissance partner. 

The other Sangheili looked him up and down.  “I did hear something about getting a new Recon troop when I came aboard.  Figures you would get stuck with the vileu.” 

“If I recall, Commander Anko prefers to put people in Recon teams he feels would be compatible. And I am certainly compatible.” 

It took only a moment for the other male to catch on.  “Great…Another one of you freaks.  Looks like I will have to deal with you too.”  Zeno saw the male tense up, preparing to attack. 

Zeno dropped into battle stance.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miko do so as well.  “Really think you can take us _both_ on Juwi?”  Miko said. 

Juwi snarled and seemed to consider attempting just that, but before committing to that, another player joined the scene. 

“Is there a problem?”  The unmistakable voice of Commander Anko ‘Tidumee asked. 

Juwi’s eyes went wide and he quickly straightened up.  “No commander, sir.  None at all,” he said, turning to face the commander.  “I will be on my way….”  He quickly left, but not without giving Zeno a ‘this is not over’ look before disappearing down a side passage. 

“Pfft, coward,”  Miko muttered. 

“Miko, mind your mouth,”  Anko chided.  “And should I remind both of you that there is no fighting allowed in the halls?” 

“No, sir.”  They both said in unison. 

“Good.  Zeno, do not forget about your training today.  Rtas is _especially_ eager to train you today.” 

“I imagine he is, sir,”  Zeno said, feeling mildly sheepish. 

Anko simply nodded and continued on his way.  When the commander was out of earshot Miko said.  “Thanks for the assist Zeno, though I had him right where I wanted him.  Was about to make my move….” 

“Before or after he punched your brains all over the wall?”  Zeno retorted, looking at him. 

Miko opened his mandibles to say something, then closed them again and shook his head.  “Alright…You got me.  He caught me by surprise…A rare thing….” 

“Who is he?” 

“Juwi ‘Hagumee,”  Miko replied.  “He’s from one of the other Recon pairs, just returned from a mission today.  Nasty bugger with a big chip on his shoulder, no sense of humor whatsoever and, from what you can probably guess, he really despises people like us.” 

“If that is so, why do you keep insulting and pulling jokes on him?” 

“Because people like him deserve it.” 

Zeno found it hard to disagree with him there. 

\--- 

Rtas was leaning against the wall of the training room, his arms folded across his chest, when Zeno arrived a few minutes later.  “Ah.  You decided to show up today,” the sub-commander said, straightening up as Zeno approached. 

“Skimping out on my lessons yesterday was…Unintentional,” Zeno said quietly. 

“So Miko told me.  At least you did not do your little break down out in the hallway, that would have been shameful.” 

Zeno bristled a little at that:  who was he to judge him?  He obviously never lost someone so dear to him before.  His tempered cooled though when he realized that Rtas was indeed correct in that assessment.  If he had broke down in view of his fellow Sangheili, their opinion of him would have gone south very quickly. 

“But enough about that,” Rtas said, waving a hand dismissively.  “Let us get started.” 

“What will be the focus for today, sir?” 

“Your swordsmanship in regards to your right hand is coming along well.  Now, if you wish to learn to duel wield, it is time to get your left hand used to holding a sword.”  Rtas picked up an object that was set by his feet.  It looked like a standard belt, but on the back was some kind of strap. 

“What is that?” 

“A hand restraint.  It will keep your right hand from interfering with your left’s training.”  Zeno nodded and allowed him to slip it around his waist and tighten it.  “Your right hand please.”  Odd, as Rtas started securing his hand in the back strap he felt a spike of anxiety.  “Is it too tight?” 

“No…Sir…,”  Zeno replied, his breathing deepening and his heart rate quickening. 

“Zeno, what is the matter?” 

“I-I do not know….”  _Why am I reacting like…_  

Suddenly, the memories of his time in that human lab surfaced.  Memories of being restrained and helpless, as the humans did unspeakable things to him.  It seemed so real, like he was there again.  

He panicked. 

“No!”  Zeno cried, jolting away from Rtas’ grip.  “Get away from me!  Let me go!” 

He didn’t hear Rtas calling his name.  He heard the female human laughing at him.  He could feel that feeding tube down this throat.  Smell the foul soup they fed him.  With a scream, he started running. 

Next thing he knew, he was on the floor, a weight on his back.  This only made him panic even more, the memories of the humans piling on top of him.  Desperate to get away, he started thrashing. 

Suddenly his right arm was free, but the weight on his back was still there.  That weight didn’t matter any more though, as slowly, his mind realized there was no threat and returned to the present.  He lay still, panting, dimly aware of two voices talking.  Then a pair of arms sat him up and leaned him against a wall.  Finally, he looked up and recognized Rtas standing in front of him, his arms folded across his chest looking bewildered:  beside him stood Commander Anko, whom just looked concerned. 

“Commander…Sub-commander?  Wha…What happened?”  Zeno asked. 

“We were hoping you could tell us, Zeno,”  Anko said softly. 

“By the Rings, Zeno.  You went nuts almost the moment I put the restraint on you,”  Rtas commented.  

“Restraint….”  Zeno shuttered, the memories still raw in his mind.  “I….” 

Anko seemed to catch on.  “This has to do with what happened to you in the human base, does it not?”  He asked.  Zeno slowly nodded.  “Tell us what happened in there, Zeno.” 

“I-I would rather not….” 

“Zeno, if we are to ensure you do not have another incident like this, we _need_ to know.” 

Zeno looked between them, shame and fear filling his hearts.  He had no choice but to comply to Anko’s order.  With a heavy sigh, he told them everything that happened during that brief time he was in the human’s _care_.  By the time he was done, Rtas’ eyes were wide with horror, while Anko simply nodded.  “I understand why you did not want anyone to know this.”  Anko said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.  “But such things should not be kept secret.  Have you told anyone else?” 

“No, sir…You and Rtas are the first.” 

Anko nodded and said.  “I will put a note in your records warning about restraining you with devices, that should prevent most possible incidences.” 

“Th-thank you sir.”

 “This no restraint business is going to put a hamper on his training,”  Rtas commented. 

“There is always another way,”  Anko said.  “In the meantime, I would suggest you end his training for the day.  Give him a chance to calm his nerves.” 

“Yes, commander.” 

\--- 

Zeno spent the rest of that day in his bunk, trying to come to terms with his newly discovered phobia.  When Miko inquired as to how his training went he simply said that something came up and they had to cancel it.  Miko obviously didn’t _quite_ believe him, but thankfully, he didn’t pry:  Zeno didn’t feel like having to retell that horror twice in one day. 

The next few days were normal and Rtas indeed found another way to further his swordsman training.  Instead of trying to get his left hand used to wielding a sword individually, he opted to train it in conjunction with his right.  Things went slow at first as Rtas got him used to alternating hands and then increased the speed gradually.  His left arm was often sore afterward. 

Then, roughly three weeks since he left the infirm, both he and Miko were summoned to the bridge.  “Miko ‘Kemotee and Zeno ‘Ribalee reporting as ordered, sir.”  Miko announced as they both saluted. 

“Excellent, come over here you two,” Commander Anko said, beckoning them over to the tactical table.  Above it was the holographic image of a planet, which looked to be a mix of dark blue, green and white.  “It has been decided that you two are ready for you first mission.” 

Zeno felt his hearts leap for joy:  his first mission as recon!  He tempered his excitement though, especially since the supreme commander was in the same room.  “It is an honor you believe so, commander,” he said, Miko nodding in agreement beside him. 

“Upon entering this system, our scanners detected signs of human activity,” the supreme commander began.  “A quick sweep of the system resulted in no physical confirmation of such activity.  However, considering how prolific and widespread this human infestation is, I highly doubt they were just passing through this system.  This….”  He gestured toward the hologram.  “Is the only habitable planet in this system.  Our scanners have not detected any outward signs of the human infestation upon its surface.  However, we noticed…Oddities…In the scanner results, which bare reason to take a closer look.” 

“Your mission is to scout this designated area,” Anko continued, a close up of the region appearing on the hologram.  “This area has been determined to be one of a few most likely areas humans may be inhabiting.  Confirming human presence is your utmost priority, though any relics you may happen upon are to be reported back to us immediately.  You will be given a holographic map of the region, to assist in your mission.  Any questions?” 

“Sir, if we come into contact with humans, are we to destroy them?” Zeno asked. 

“If it is within your means, yes, but do not act recklessly.  You will bring greater glory to the Covenant if you chose your actions with care.” 

“Sir, what will be our duration of stay on the ground?”  Miko asked. 

“If you find no signs of human presence, I foresee no more then a day on the ground.  If humans are found, it will depend on the number and status of said humans.  In that event, call in for further instructions.”  

“Understood, commander.”  They said in unison. 

“Good.  You will be departing in six hours.  Take this time to have your armor acclimatized for the region, rest and gather the supplies you will need.” 

“Yes, commander.” 

“Acclimatized?”  Zeno inquired as they left the bridge. 

“The region we will be dropped in is cold, so we need to have our armors climate control functions adjusted accordingly,” Miko explained.  “Never been in a cold area I take it?” 

“No, my keep is in hot region.” 

“Ha! Like most of Sangheilos!  Anyway, our first time really working together: you must be excited.” 

“I would be lying if I said I was not,”  Zeno said with a grin.


	8. Cold Reception

They dropped their armor at the armory to have the necessary adjustments made, exchanging their standard combat helmets for assault ones in the process.  While they waited, they picked up two days worth of rations and a medkit from the general supply store.  At the weapons cache, they made sure their swords were fully charged, filled their grenade pouches and each took a plasma rifle.  Miko took an additional weapon called an energy garrote.  By then their armor was ready and after picking it up, they returned to their quarters to relax and rest for a couple of hours.  Shortly before mission time, they grabbed a quick bite to eat.  Afterward they reported to the hanger bay, where a Spirit was warmed up and waiting for them.  It wasn’t long before they were on their way. 

Zeno was a nervous bundle of energy, of a good sort.  On the last ‘first mission’ he went on he remembered feeling nothing but dread due to Yuteri’s unspoken _promise_ to get him killed.  This time though, he was eager and hopeful.  He was going to be with someone that was not out to take his life, someone he felt a keen kinship for deep in his hearts.  A bond, a friendship, perhaps something more that he had yet to identify.  Either way, he hoped to prove himself to his new partner and to his commander. 

They didn’t speak during the ride down, Zeno too focused on what was coming ahead.  Miko himself had an almost uncharacteristic _serious_ look on his face.  He actually looked a bit intimidating, making Zeno glad he was on _his_ side.  Then came the call from the pilot that it was time to disembark and the grav lift activated.  They donned their helmets and made sure they had a proper seal before they stepped up to the field and stepped in, starting their descent to the white ground below. 

The ground _looked_ solid, but when he hit the ground after finishing his descent, he found to his surprise that it wasn’t that solid at all.  His weight caused him to sink right into it, up to his knees in fact.  Briefly, before his armor’s heating system kicked in, he could feel that this ‘sand’ was actually rather cold.  Curious, he bent down and scooped up a bit into his hand and took a closer look at it, seeing that the grains were more crystalline in shape.  Even more surprising was how, before his eyes, the heat from his hand caused this sand to literally melt, turning into water. 

“You must never have been around snow before,”  Miko said, his tone slightly teasing. 

“No…,”  Zeno confirmed shaking his hand to rid himself of the substance.  “I have heard of it, but never seen it.” 

“It is caused when water molecules in the air reach a certain temperature and freezes, turning into ice crystals.  The individual crystals can be quite beautiful….” 

“You must be from a colder region of Sangheilos.” 

Miko grinned and nodded.  “One of the northern provinces: my keep is in a tall mountain range.” 

“Which would also explain your lighter skin tone.” 

“That is correct.  By the way…Has your heating system kicked in yet?” 

“Yes, almost immediately.  Why?” 

“Odd, mine has not.  Damn Unggoy must have set the trigger temp too low.” 

“Can you adjust it?” 

“I will once we are not out in the open like this.”  Miko gestured toward a corpse of trees close by.  “That should provide sufficient cover.” 

“Will you be alright until we get there?”  Zeno asked as they started walking that way. 

“I have a slight tolerance toward cold, so I should be fine as long as it does not take long to fix this problem.” 

Zeno nodded and they quickly reached the trees.  Once there, they stopped and Miko started fiddling with his armor controls, while Zeno kept watch.  “I am not liking this snow…,”  Zeno commented.  “It reveals our passage far too easily.” 

“Yeah, that is a negative, unless you are in a snow storm,”  Miko said, soundly partly distracted as he fought with his armor controls.  “Then you have bigger problems to worry about.” 

“Like?” 

“Well, the wind has a nasty habit of ripping the heat right from your body if you are not adequately protected.” 

“Uh huh…And I can imagine that if you somehow got wet that makes things even worse.” 

“Oh yes.” 

“Will we have to worry about any hostiles finding our tracks?” 

“If there really are humans here, perhaps, provided they recognize our tracks for Covenant.” 

“I would be surprised if those weak heathens are actually able to survive in this type of climate.” 

“Humans seem to be able to adapt to many climates, Zeno.” Miko said, starting to sound a bit frustrated, though Zeno could tell it wasn’t toward him.  “They have been found thriving in various habitats, from arid deserts to cold worlds like this.” 

“Great, no wonder we are having such a hard time eradicating the galaxy of them….” 

Miko gave him a look.  “Do you not find it strange that the Hierarchs have yet to offer them admittance into the Covenant?” 

“I do not and the heathens can all burn for all I care.” 

“Well, I consider the damn Brutes less worthy of being in the Covenant then the humans,” Miko muttered.  “But that is a debate for another day…We have a more pressing problem.” 

“What is that?” 

The tone in his voice was one of worry.  “My heating system will not respond to my commands.  Unless I find another means of keeping warm soon, I will eventually freeze to death.” 

The revelation hit Zeno hard.  Their first mission together and already they were in trouble, though through no fault of their own.  However, the knowledge they will likely fail their first mission did not bother him as greatly as the thought of Miko dying.  “Then we need to find shelter for you…And request an evac if we can.” 

“I would rather do as much of our mission possible before being forced to leave,” Miko said stubbornly. 

“Miko…There is no honor in freezing to death!  Are there any structures, like a cave, close by?” 

Miko sighed and took out the map device, the layout of the immediate area popping up in a hologram.  “We are here…,” he pointed to the purple dot blinking on the map.  “I am not seeing any caves in the immediate area.” 

Zeno studied the map carefully and squinted when he thought he saw something odd.  “What is that?”  he said, pointing at spot to the east.  “That does not look like a natural formation.” 

Miko zoomed in on that area.  “No…It does not.  It looks like building.” 

“Forerunner?” 

“Cannot tell from this.  We need to get closer.” 

“So long as it gets _you_ out of the cold.” 

“Stop worrying about me.” 

“I will worry…And I just saw you shiver a bit.” 

Miko sighed and shook his head, but didn’t argue further.  The pair started heading toward the structure, Zeno keeping an eye on Miko as they went.  A few times, he saw him tap on his helmet and get a puzzled look on his face.  “What is wrong?”  Zeno asked. 

“I have been trying to contact the commander, to tell him our status, but I got nothing but dead air.” 

Zeno, now perplexed as well, made his own attempt, only to get nothing.  “Odd, the fleet could not have moved out of range that quickly.  I wonder if this is related to the ‘oddities’ in the scans that were mentioned during the briefing.” 

“Let us worry about it later…The cold is starting to get to me.” 

Zeno nodded and they pressed onward.  Soon enough they could see the structure in the distance.  However, the type of structure was still unclear due to the trees obscuring it.  The pair made their way quickly toward it, but Miko was to falling behind, hypothermia starting to set in.  Zeno went back and put his arm around him, forcing him forward.  “We are almost there…You can make it,” he kept telling him. 

Finally, they reached the structure and after a quick search they found the door.  With Miko falling fast, he didn’t bother confirming the origin of the building itself before opening the door, which was unsecured.  Quickly, he partly dragged Miko into its warmer interior and shut the door. 

Miko was shivering badly now:  Zeno could have sworn he could hear his mandibles clicking together within that helmet.  With no time to look for anything to help warm him up, Zeno did the next best thing.  He wrapped his own body around him, sharing his body heat with him.  He held him close like this for several minutes, until Miko stopped shivering. 

“Thank you…,” Miko said gratefully.  “I owe you.” 

“No we are even.  You saved my ass on _Truy_ , remember?” 

“Oh yeah…,” There was a brief pause; then Miko said.  “Zeno…Do you smell that?” 

Zeno had to a sniff a few times before he caught it.  The smell of humans.  Looking around, he saw human equipment of various types in the room they had taken shelter in.  Some looked like communications equipment, disconnected and not in use, but most he did not recognize.  The walls were riddled with holes, with large patches of scorched plaster in a couple of spots.  A battle had occurred here, but who were the humans fighting?  It was not the Covenant, as this was the first time their fleet has come into this system.  Regardless, it was hard to determine when this battle took place, as the cold prevented the decay of battle scars on the structure. 

One thing was for certain though: the scent of humans was strong.  Which meant the humans were still here, somewhere. 

“Looks like the supreme commander was correct,”  Zeno growled as he raised his plasma rifle.  “Humans really are here.” 

“With our comms apparently dead, it looks like we are stuck having to deal with these humans on our own, until we can find a way to contact the fleet.” 

“The structure did not appear to be too large, so I do not think many reside in here.  Where they are, is the question.” 

“Another question would be why they have not come to _welcome_ us,” Miko muttered, rising to his feet. 

“Yet.”  Zeno glanced at his radar, only to see it flickering with false positives flying across its screen.  “Now my radar is on the fritz.” 

“So is mine.  Must be a jamming device somewhere, which would explain why our comms are not working.  But this is also to our advantage: if our radars are not working, neither is theirs.  Let’s activate our camo systems.” 

Zeno nodded and complied.  In seconds, both he and Miko disappeared from visible sight, with only a faint shimmer exposing their presence.  _A bit weird…Not being able to see my own body._   Zeno mused.  “Whoa…,” he said, surprised when on his HUD his body developed an almost transparent purple wash over it.  Looking at Miko, he saw that his partner was similarly blocked in like this. 

“Never used the stealth systems before eh?”  Miko said teasingly.  “A blessed gift from the gods, to be able to sneak up on our foes unawares.  But it works best if we remain silent, so text or hand signals for now on.” 

Zeno nodded in acknowledgement and Miko took the lead.  They didn’t get far when they heard someone approaching their room.  Pressing against the far wall, they waited and watched as a human, dressed partly in heavy weather gear, entered the room.  The human stank of an intoxicant that tormented his olfactory senses, but was otherwise unarmed and completely oblivious to the two cloaked Sangheili in the room. 

Miko wasn’t about to risk the human becoming aware of their presence.  Zeno watched as his partner took the energy garrote from his belt and deftly wrapped its plasma cord around the human’s neck.  The human gasped and struggled for a few seconds before finally laying still.  Miko then laid the body on the ground and shoved it under one of the tables, where it wouldn’t be immediately noticed. 

=Lets go= Texted Miko, Zeno nodding in agreement.  It seemed short-range comms worked at least. 

The pair exited the room through the doorway came in from and found themselves in a short hallway.  There were two doorways on either side; none of them had any actual doors, at least not anymore.  Miko pointed at him and then gestured toward the remaining doorway on the right side of the hallway.  With a nod, Zeno silently walked toward that doorway, while Miko checked the room immediately across from the hall from the room they entered from. 

His hearts hammering in his chest, Zeno peered into the room.  This one was full of shelving with multitudes of boxes and crates.  Zeno cautiously explored the room, briefly looking at the lettering on the boxes to allow his translation software to translate the wording.  From what he could gather, many of these boxes had foodstuffs in them.  Others looked more like general supplies, though he did spy a couple of weapons here and there. 

=Clear here,=  Miko announced. 

=Same,=  Zeno replied, making his way back out into the hallway and to the room across the hall.  This room had a stair way, which meant that the rest of the humans in this building were likely above them.  _Or below_ , he corrected, noting that one set went down.  =Two paths,= he informed Miko as he approached.  =Up and down.= 

=Down.  As one.=  Miko responded, Zeno understanding his reasoning.  So far, they had been lucky and had met up with very little resistance.  Resistance that will likely increase once the humans became aware of their intrusion.  Staying together from this point on would decrease the chances of detection and increase chances of survival when they were eventually discovered. 

The trip downstairs was a little nerve wracking, as the stairs were not made with stealth in mind, let alone to muffle the sounds of heavy Sangheili boots stepping on them.  They reached the bottom though with no indication of being heard and began to explore the lower floor.  What was immediately apparent was that this floor was not quite as big as the first. 

There were only a couple of rooms.  One was a wash:  Zeno did not like the images of humans bathing that briefly popped up in his head.  The other was a sleeping area, the side walls lined with five bunks each.  That means there were up to ten humans in this place, one of which they already have slain. 

=Sleeper,=  Miko said, pointing to a lump in one of the beds.  =Take out.= 

Zeno nodded and approached the occupied bunk. He didn’t have a garrote, though that weapon would be hard to use on a prone individual anyway.  Instead, he took his energy sword into his hand and held it close to the human’s head before activating it.  The human was dead before its brain could even process the sound of an energy sword activating.  Zeno quickly turned it off again and returned it to its spot on his side, noting that Miko was nodding in approval.  

With the bottom level clear, they headed for the top level.  This floor consisted of another short hallway, with three other doorways.  One was at the end of the hallway:  this one actually had a door that looked rather solid, while the other two were directly across from each other in the middle of the hall.  

Miko raised his hand to give a command, but he stopped when they heard a burst of laughter from the sole doorway along the opposite wall.  Sounded like at least three humans, but it was hard to tell.  The pair looked at each other, then as one quietly approached the doorway the laughter came from and looked in. 

Three humans sat on a large couch, watching a viewscreen of some sort.  There was a faint whiff of intoxicants in the air, but unlike the first human they had killed, these humans had weapons.  Two rifles and a shotgun, from what Zeno could see and he wouldn’t be surprised if they had other ordinance on them.  The question was how to deal with these humans without rising the alarm.  He looked at Miko for orders. 

=Swords.  You, left.  I, right.=  Came the response. 

Zeno nodded and started his approach, removing his sword hilt once again from his side, feeling its weight in his hand.  Almost at the exact same moment, they ignited their respective swords and thrust them threw the back of the couch and into their targets on the other side.  The one in the middle, looked at his companions, but barely got a chance to open his mouth to scream before Miko sliced his head off. 

<Intruders!> 

The voice came from behind them, Zeno’s translation software taking a second to covert it into Sangheilian.  It took only that long for the human to start firing.  Miko suddenly became visible as the primitive projectiles disrupted his camo and drained his shields.  Miko dove for cover behind the couch, but not before his shields failed and his very flesh was struck.  Zeno heard his partner cry out in pain. 

With a roar of fury, Zeno rushed the human.  The human turned his fire on him, but only got a couple of hits on him before his end was met on the end of Zeno’s blade.  “Miko…,”  Zeno turned off his blade and put it away before rushing to Miko’s side.  “Are you alright?” 

“I will be,”  Miko said with a slight grimace.  “Minor wounds, nothing more.” Zeno gave him a quick once over:  Miko had a wound on his upper left arm and left thigh.  He sighed with relief that Miko was right about his self-assessment. 

“Where did that human come from?”  Zeno said as he helped him back up.  “We cleared the two lower floors.” 

“We erred by not re-clearing the ground floor,”  Miko said bitterly.  “If, that is, he did not come from the other two rooms on _this_ floor.” 

“We best clear those rooms quickly then, before any remaining humans call for help.” 

“Agreed.” 

There was no point in using camo now, not with Miko bleeding and leaving a blood trail, no matter now slight it was.  After exiting the room, they quickly checked the room on the same side of the hall as the stairs:  it was a small office space, nothing more, with no humans within.  Now their attention turned toward the last room at the end of the hallway.  As they got closer, Zeno noticed the door was slightly ajar.  As they neared it, they heard a panicked voice. 

<…we got hostiles in here!  Need back…> 

“Blood!”  Zeno swore as he burst into the room.  The sole human inside screamed loudly before Zeno grabbed it by the neck and snapped it like a twig. 

 _- <Oscar five, respond!>-_ Crackled a piece of equipment on the desk the human was at.  With a snarl, Miko took his plasma rifle and blasted it, silencing its squawking. 

“This cannot be good,”  Zeno muttered. 

“Indeed,”  Miko agreed.  “Unless they have a means of bypassing their own long range jamming device, we should expect more humans here shortly.” 

“My suggestion:  find what is jamming our signals so we can call in our _own_ backup.” 

“Agreed.  The fleet will not likely find out about this human settlement otherwise.” 

They didn’t have time to carefully inspect each piece of equipment in the room.  Instead, they started to simply destroy everything in the room by sword or plasma fire.  There was a lot of equipment in the room however, and it was taking time to adequately destroy them all.  

“Where is that blasted thing!?”  Zeno hissed, slicing his sword through the last piece of equipment.  “Please do not tell me it is in one of the other rooms!” 

“Or it is above us….” Miko pointed to a series of cables that could be briefly seen in a crack of what looked like plastic piping.  Said piping went up through the ceiling of the room.  Zeno, without hesitation, thrust his blade into the piping, severing the cables inside.  Almost immediately, his radar came back. 

“That did it Zeno!”  Miko said gleefully. 

 _-Zeno!  Miko!  Do you read!-_ Came the voice of their commander. 

“We are here commander,”  Miko replied. 

 _-Thank the prophets.  I have been trying to reach you for the last half hour.  What is going on?-_  

“We found a human nest commander,”  Miko quickly explained.  “They were using a jamming device that was interfering with our communications and radar.  Unfortunately, we were unable to find it before they were able to call for help.” 

 _-Unfortunate, but you did well regardless.  Our scanners are now picking up signs of human infestation close to your location.-_  

“I do not suppose those same scanners picked up the fact that we currently have a sizeable group of humans about to invade our position.”  Zeno said, looking out what had to be the sole window in this entire building.  Below he saw about five weaponless warthogs, each filled with humans…. 


	9. Revelation

“How many Zeno?”  Miko asked. 

“Uh…Twenty five.” 

“Pfft…That is all?” 

Zeno saw one of the humans aim something toward the window.  “Oh…Blood… _Get down!_ ”  Zeno and Miko dived to the floor just as a rocket shattered the window and hit the ceiling above them.  The explosion drained their shields and blew a large hole in the ceiling, but other wise it did not harm them.  “’Is that all’…You asked….”  Zeno grumbled, looking at Miko, whom looked sheepish. 

“Commander, the humans have rockets and they do not seem to care about keeping this building intact,”  Miko reported. 

 _-What is your location?-_   Anko asked. 

“Top floor of this structure.” 

 _-Hold out the best you can.  I am sending reinforcements.-_  

“Affirmative commander.” 

“Right…Against rockets, in close quarters…,”  Zeno muttered.  Then he looked up.  _That hole looks just big enough…,_   he thought as he started climbed on top of one of the tables. 

“Zeno, what are you doing?”  Miko said, glancing between him and the hallway beyond the door.  The sounds of human footfalls were getting louder and louder. 

“Miko! Through this hole, to the roof!”  Zeno said, offering his hand to him.  “They cannot shoot us with explosives without risking blowing themselves up.” 

“This is technically running away you know.”  Miko said as he accepted Zeno’s hand and joined him on the table.  The table groaned and threatened to break under their combined weight. 

“I consider it changing the battle field to be more to our advantage.”  Zeno pointed out as he boosted Miko through the hole.  Then he gripped the sides of the hole and started to pull himself up. 

By then, the humans were on their floor and rushing toward their position.  They no doubt saw him, as his shields started falling fast due their gunfire.  Before he could pull himself up completely though, he felt a jab of pain in his rear.  “Ahh!”  He yelped as he rolled onto the roof fully.  “Bastards shot me in the butt!” 

“Heathens!”  Miko hissed as he took a plasma grenade, primed it and tossed it back down the hole.  Seconds later there was an explosion and several screams.  “Maiming a fine ass like that…For shame!” 

“Really Miko, it is not _that_ bad I think…,”  Zeno said, turning purple. 

“Well let me have a look and see.”  Before Zeno could protest, Miko knelt down and took a look.  A look that took longer then needed in Zeno’s opinion.  “Ahh, good, it is just a graze.” 

“That could have waited until _after_ we were out of a combat situation….” 

Miko ignored him as he activated his comm.  “Commander, we have relocated to a more defensible position on the roof.” 

 _-Acknowledged.  Where are the human forces at your position?-_  

Zeno looked over the edge of the roof at the front and had to duck back real quick to avoid having his head blown off by a rocket.  “Both inside and outside the structure commander,” he relayed.  “At least one outside is rocket happy.” 

 _-Those rockets will be problematic for the incoming Spirit.  Can you take it out?-_  

“Will try.” Zeno said.  _But how to do so without getting a helmet full of rocket?_ He thought.  Then he realized the obvious answer.  _Duh…Idiot,_ he thought as he activated his camo.  “Miko, make sure those humans do not try climbing up through that hole.” 

“I think they are smart enough not to try that, but very well,”  Miko replied. 

Zeno peered over the edge cautiously.  With active camo on, the rocket baring human could not see him, but still had his rocket launcher aimed toward the roof.  Chances were the human would fire the moment he started firing, so he needed to distract him.  Looking around on the roof, he found a piece of roof debris small enough to fit in his hand.  After picking it up, he returned to the roof edge.  Staying low, he tossed the piece of roof over the edge off to the side and it crunched into the snow below.  The moment the human turned his attention toward the sound, Zeno opened fire. 

Caught by surprise, the human couldn’t dodge fast enough and was pelted by several plasma rounds, effectively taking him out.  For good measure, Zeno primed and tossed down a plasma grenade.  The grenade stuck to the rocket launcher and the explosion not only rendered the weapon useless, but set off secondary explosions from the weapons ordnance. 

“Rockets neutralized,”  Zeno reported, deactivating his camo. 

 _-Excellent.  The spirit should be there in a few moments,-_   Anko said. 

“I hope those ‘few moments’ is not too long,”  Miko muttered.  “My heating system is still nonfunctional and I doubt these humans will give us the luxury of you sharing your body heat with me again.” 

Zeno had to agree.  “At least there is only one way for them to get up here,” he said. 

Just then, he heard a creaking sound, sounding like a metal door being opened for the first time in a while.  Turning he saw something they both really should have noticed when the first came up here:  a hatch and was opening.  When it was fully opened, a small cylindrical object was thrown out, onto the roof. 

“Grenade!”  Zeno warned, as both he and Miko dove to the ground.  The explosion knocked him into side of the roof, stunning him briefly. In those few seconds, one human had climbed onto the roof, while the other was halfway out of the hatch.  

<Hands up you freak!> the first human barked, aiming his weapon at him. 

In response, Zeno aimed his plasma rifle and fired, forcing the first human to roll away.  Rising to his feet, he turned his attention to the human still making his way out.  Unable to dodge, that human was cut down by his weapon fire:  as a bonus, he now blocked that entryway onto the roof, preventing any further humans from coming up.  For now. 

Weapon fire from the remaining human peppered his shields.  Zeno charged the human, switching his weapon to the energy blade.  The weapon easily sliced the human in half.  “Miko?  What is your status?”  He called out, finding it odd that his partner did not assist him in this fight.  After a quick look around, he realized why:  Miko was nowhere in sight. 

Zeno felt sick, a feeling that was similar to when he received news of Kou’s death, only it seemed more intense.  “Miko!”  He cried, looking around desperately for his partner.  His friend.  More then that, perhaps? 

“Here!”  Miko’s distant voice finally responded.  Approaching quickly, Zeno found Miko hanging on to the edge of the roof:  the explosion must have knocked him off. 

“Thank the gods! I thought I had lost you.”  Zeno said as he stated pulling him up. 

“Good to know that I would be missed.”  Once Miko was back on solid ground, Zeno had a moment of emotional weakness.  He gripped Miko tightly in a hug.  “Whoa!  Zeno, time and place.  Time and place!” 

“I-I am sorry,”  Zeno said, hanging his head. 

“It is alright.  How many humans are left?” 

“I just killed two, which would make three including the rocket crazy one earlier.  No idea how many your grenade slew.” 

“So twenty-two at most then, likely less,” Miko mused.  “Not that it would matter. Look.” 

Zeno looked in the direction he pointed and saw the prong shaped form of a spirit coming in.  They watched as it dipped down by the building and its bay doors opened, two squads of Sangheili hopping out.  The spirit then lifted up and came over the building, its grav lift activating.  As Zeno and Miko went up the grav lift, they heard the sounds of fighting, and humans dying, within the building.  The fight was over quickly and they felt the spirit reposition itself to pick up the fighters. 

“Local human infestation neutralized commander,” the squad leader reported. 

 _-Good work.  And my Recon team?-_  

“Both present and accounted for, commander,”  Miko replied. 

 _-Excellent.  Return to the ship for debriefing.-_  

“As you command.”  The squad leader nodded to the pilot, whom nodded and turned to direct the ship back to the fleet. 

“Miko, I noticed something about those humans,”  Zeno spoke up after a moment of silence. 

“What is that?” Miko asked. 

“Their uniforms, they were different then the ones I encountered on _Truy._   They lacked the insignias I am accustomed to seeing.” 

“I noticed this as well, Zeno, from my earlier missions.  I learned that there are a couple of different factions of humans, which do not seem to like each other.  The ones here seem to belong to the faction that rebelled against the other, if I remember my intel correctly.” 

“So they are fighting amongst themselves then.” 

“At least were, until we came along,”  Miko pointed out.  “Seems they halted their internal disputes in the face of a larger threat.” 

“A pity, it would have been easier to just let them wipe themselves out.” 

“The Hierarchs are not patient enough to allow that: they want them exterminated as quickly as possible.” 

“I do not blame them, to be honest.” 

Miko shook his head, but did not comment on that.  Zeno suspected it had to do with his earlier question about why the prophets did not offer the humans admittance into the Covenant.  He could see why: with other Sangheili around he did not want to be seen as a heretic.  Zeno did not understand why Miko questioned it though, for the humans’ heresy was all to clear in his mind. 

\--- 

_Later, on the bridge of Seeker of Truth_

 

“Miko ‘Kemotee and Zeno ‘Ribalee reporting, sir.”  Miko said upon entering the bridge, both saluting. 

“At ease.  Good work on the mission,” the supreme commander said.  “You confirmed my suspicions in record time.  I am curious to hear how you found the humans so quickly.” 

Zeno and Miko looked at each other, Zeno reading the slight shame in Miko’s eyes.  “To be honest sir,” Miko began.  “It was by chance.  Shortly after we dropped off, I realized my climate control systems were malfunctioning.  Utilizing the map, we located the nearest likely shelter and made for it.” 

“It was during the journey that Miko tried to contact you, only to get no signal,”  Zeno added.  “We made it to the structure and after taking a brief period of time to recuperate, we realized it was a human building.” 

“One that was still occupied.  Unfortunately, not only were our comms still not functioning, but our radar was malfunctioning as well.  We determined there had to be a jamming device close by.

“We proceeded to search the structure, eliminating any humans we found.  We were able to eliminate five of the seven humans in the building before our presence was discovered.” 

“The remaining two were slain shortly after, but not before they called for help.  We made a safe assumption that due to the jamming device, human reinforcements would likely be close by, so we started to search for it.  Once we found and destroyed it, we were able to contact you.” 

“And the destruction of the jamming device you found has revealed something interesting,” Thel said, gesturing to the map on the table.  On it was the holographic map they saw before, but with the addition of marked hostiles, most of which confined to one spot to the north of where Zeno and Miko had found the structure.  “Notice the odd shape of the hostile grouping, how entities appear and disappear?” 

“Yes, sir,”  Zeno replied.  “That must mean there are more jamming devices around their main base.  After we killed the last human in the building, whomever it was talking to tried to contact it.  It was referred to as ‘Oscar Five’.” 

Anko scratched a lower mandible.  “This likely means there are at least four more outposts around their main base,” he said. 

“Agreed.  It is time to scout out the remaining outposts and disable the rest of the jamming devices.  Then we can do a full strike on their base,”  Thel said. 

“Shall we prepare for another mission, your excellence?” Miko asked. 

“No.  You have done your duty and now that we know humans do inhabit this planet, standard military tactics should suffice to cleanse this location of their filth.  Go rest and recuperate from your ordeal.” 

“Thank you, sir.”  The pair said in unison, saluting before departing the bridge. 

\--- 

They made a quick trip to the infirm to have their wounds cleaned and in Miko’s case, bullets removed.  Afterward they returned to their quarters to relax until mealtime.  Zeno, having stripped down to his bodysuit, was having trouble just relaxing though. 

While it was normal to reflect on a completed mission, Zeno’s mind kept focusing on the parts where Miko’s life had been in peril.  He remembered how he felt, that sick, devastated feeling that spurred him to act almost rashly to protect Miko.  How he started thinking only of Miko’s well being and not himself, let alone the mission. 

He had known for a while that he was attracted to Miko _physically_.  Now he suspected that attraction was no longer just physical, but something deeper.  Could it be that…. 

“Miko...?” he blurted out suddenly, feeling the need to finally man up and talk to Miko himself about this. 

“Hmm? What is it Zeno?” Miko replied, whom was standing by his own bed. 

“I…,”  Zeno clenched his fists.  “I…Need to tell you something….” 

“Go ahead then.”  Miko smiled at him and sat down beside him.  This proved only to make it harder to say what he wanted to say. The words he wanted to say were in his head, but they refused to come out of his mouth.  Miko was just watching him, waiting patiently for him to continue. 

“During our mission today…I-I realized something,” he began, forcing the words out.  “When…When I thought I was about to lose you….”  Zeno felt himself start to choke up and he took a couple of breaths to calm himself. 

“It is alright, take your time,”  Miko urged softly. 

“I-I felt like my world was about to shatter again, like it did when Kou died.  I could not bear the thought of losing you.  You…You have done so much for me…Mean so much to me….” 

By now, Miko had edged up right next to him and slipped an arm over his shoulders.  It felt so warm, so reassuring, that it gave Zeno the will to keep talking.  “I find myself…Unable to imagine life without you, Miko,” he said, tears in his eyes.  “I…Find myself, wanting to be more than…What we are now.  More then friends or brothers but….”  Zeno froze up then, unable to say the word: it seemed so foreign to him. 

“Lovers?”  Miko finished for him, his voice sweet.  Zeno felt himself turn purple and nodded meekly.  “Well then.  It is about time.” 

As Zeno comprehended what he said, Miko suddenly wrapped his over arm around him and pulled him close.  He also butted his head under Zeno’s chin and started purring.  The move caught Zeno by complete surprise and he didn’t know how to react to this.  “Wha…What?”  he sputtered out. 

Miko chuckled softly.  “The cold showers.  The longing looks.  The protectiveness.  I noticed all that and knew you had to feel something for me.” 

“If you knew…Why did you not….” 

Another chuckle.  “Some things you have to work out on your own, Zeno.”  He explained, pulling away so they could see each other eye to eye.  “Plus you had only so recently started to accept that being a semo is not unnatural.  In such a mentally vulnerable state, it would have been wrong of me to…Lure…You into thinking you liked me.  Your feelings would not have been truly from the hearts.  I do admit though, that it was rather hard to hold myself back.” 

“H-how long have you been holding back?” 

“Almost since the moment I first saw you, Zeno.” 

“But I was a scrawny, malnourished wreck then!” 

“Love is a strange emotion, Zeno.  It can happen between the most unlikely of people.  Besides, look at you now.”  He patted his abdomen.  “You have grown into such a fine specimen of our species, one that females would trip over their hooves to get their hands on.  Not that I would let them anywhere _near_ you of course.” 

Zeno giggled at that, blushing anew. “I guess I am.  But…What now?  I have…No idea what to do….” 

In response, Miko nuzzled his neck, Zeno nearly fainting from how wonderful that felt.  “Do not worry, ole Miko will teach you.  I will ease you into such things….” 

“I-I would like that…Very much so….” 

Miko embraced him again, Zeno returning the gesture this time.  His warmth enveloped him, caressed him, comforted him.  It was hard to believe, that less then a month ago, he would have shied away from this embrace, to try to bury his feelings. 

But that was all in the past now.  He was truly home now.  Home in Miko’s arms. 

Where he belonged.


End file.
